Poké Wars: The Defervescence
by Cornova
Summary: Humanity's genocide is at hand, but the road to utopia won't be an easy one. Unforeseen consequences have forced me to remove those unfit for my paradise. By the end of the day the world will never be the same, and those remaining exist because I will it. Sequel to Poké Wars: The Incipience.
1. New Management

**Sequel to Poke Wars: The Incipience **

**I'd also like to extend a thank you to Zarrelion for betaing this chapter for me.  
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><p><strong>August 17<strong>

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><p>"Remind me once more why we are here?" Ho-oh murmured irritably, the crimson feathers on his body visibly ruffled. For what seemed like the umpteenth time he fought the urge to glance back at the twinkling lights that marked a human settlement in the distance. Every time he laid eyes on the structures, rage boiled within him; rage that would only subside once those hated structures were no more than scorched earth. The rainbow phoenix sated his rage by fantasizing of carnage and devastation. Suddenly, Uxie spoke.<p>

"Here to recruit. Necessary for future plans," Uxie, the Being of Intelligence, answered in his usual clipped sentences.

Ho-oh gave the sprite a withering look, even though Uxie would never see it.

"_Who or what could I possibly recruit in a human settlement_?" Ho-oh pondered before relenting to his curiosity.

"Might I inquire as to why you made me send Mewtwo to collect the inhabitants of this area _alive_?" Ho-oh's golden beak clicked together audibly on the last word.

"Necessary. Part of recruitment plan," the grey sprite replied as if it were the most obvious fact on the planet.

"And is informing me of said plan included _anywhere_ in the plan?"

"Explanation extensive. Short span of time. Time is of essence. Must make deadline," Uxie explained as he floated towards the building before them.

"With someone of your _great_ intellect, I'm positive you can indulge me by explaining and floating at the same time," Ho-oh spat only to be soundly ignored as the sprite stopped before the metal doors.

As if they were no stronger than sheets of aluminum, the sprite telekinetically tore the doors apart. The opening was wide enough to allow him to slip through, but nowhere near large enough to accommodate the genocidal phoenix's wingspan.

"_If I didn't know any better I'd say infuriating me has become some kind of sport,_" Ho-oh silently fumed, coughing loudly to get one particular sprite's attention. Uxie floated a few feet past the doors before realizing something was amiss.

"Ah, sincerest apologies. Lost in thought. Assistance in matter crucial."

"What could possibly make you require my assistance?" Ho-oh inquired, watching as the doors of the facility flapped under Uxie's psychic grasp like flaps of tin foil in the wind.

"Can sense surroundings but need visual confirmation to be sure. Would use own eyes but reflective surfaces pose risk. May see self in own reflection. Wipe own memory. Countless centuries of information lost. Wasteful."

"_So he does have a weakness,_" Ho-oh mused before locking away the tidbit of information for the future.

Ho-oh made his way into the building, his talons clicking against the linoleum tiles with every step as he followed Uxie through the facility. It wasn't long before he began to feel claustrophobic with the narrow hallways and the low ceiling forcing him to stoop his head and tuck in his wings. The Being of Knowledge silently hovered in and out of different exhibits as Ho-oh craned his neck to scan the interior. Somehow, Uxie had found a way to disable the security systems, making their journey through the museum silent and uneventful. Ho-oh reined in his curiosity as to how he had managed that, preferring to simply accept it and be spared the lengthy explanation.

Most of the rooms contained steel pedestals and glass casings holding various relics such as stone tablets and artifacts of debatable worth.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Ho-oh asked.

"Ah. Forgot others not privy to thoughts. Will explain. If memory serves, which it does, three ancient containment devices reside here. Were moved from city once known as Pokémopolis. Currently assuming you lack knowledge regarding human instruments such as a 'spoon' and a 'bell'."

"I know what the latter is, not the former. However, you mentioned there were three artifacts."

"Technically four. Spoon acts as a key to one of the artifacts. Final artifact is three, black conjoined spheres. Center sphere largest and flanked by smaller ones. If found, under no circumstances, make physical contact. Inform me and will handle situation from there. Otherwise…cannot ensure safety," Uxie said in a tone that Ho-oh could've sworn was the slowest he'd ever spoken to him.

"_He knows most of my powers by now and wouldn't warn me if he didn't truly believe it would actually bring me serious harm_," Ho-oh thought.

"Shall look for spoon and urn counterpart. Leave the task of spheres and bell to you," Uxie said before disappearing into one of the exhibits.

Within a few minutes he found the artifacts he'd been tasked with easily enough and informed Uxie. As they made their way out of the building Mewtwo hovered off the ground a few meters from them, a large cube composed of unconscious humans neatly stacked in rows and columns floating at his side.

As per Uxie's instructions, Mewtwo had entered the nearby town and teleported its inhabitants out of their homes. Once he'd hypnotized and organized them in an orderly fashion, he was to bring their newfound fuel source to the entrance of the museum and await his next order.

Ho-oh could only guess that Uxie had mentally shared their discovery with Mewtwo before turning to him to give the order to retrieve the artifacts. As soon as he finished his command the four artifacts seemingly materialized out of thin air.

"Have Mewtwo destroy bell, then press spheres against humans, and insert spoon into slot of urn," Uxie advised.

Ho-oh did as he was told; knowing not to question Uxie's commands for the time being; now was not the time for pride. The brass bell gave a horrid screech as it imploded into a misshapen ball. It wasn't until Uxie was satisfied with the damage that he gave his consent to drop the broken artifact.

The black spheres shot into the midst of the sleeping populace, turning them several shades of red before absorbing them in an instant, much like how a pokéball would with a Pokémon.

"Uxie, would you care to explain?" Ho-oh asked. His tone of voice implied it was less a request and more of a demand.

"Artifacts actually ancient capturing devices. Spheres contain a large Gengar. Spoon and urn contain equally large Alakazam. Bell contained Jigglypuff to seal them in case both are released. Bell no longer necessary, hence disposal," Uxie replied.

"And the humans?"

"Gengar requires life force of others to fuel itself. Sentient life that makes physical or eye contact with Gengar is absorbed. Added to the fuel source inside. Unsure if way to escape once inside. In the event that Gengar would die, the life of what it has absorbed takes that place. By my estimate, anything attempting to kill the Gengar at this moment would need to kill it over several dozen times. As you could imagine, became hard for humans to control. Counteractive measures established, hence Alakazam. Neither could conquer other, Pokémopolis destroyed in process. Jigglypuff created as last resort."

"And what assurance do we have that these Pokémon will ally themselves with us?"

"Aggressive negotiations may be necessary," Uxie began before going into detail about their next course of actions. Ho-oh's attention was effectively split as he strained to listen to Uxie's instructions and watch the spectacle before them.

Two spots on the ground caved in as darkness oozed from the black spheres like some virulent cancer. Deep purple fur, crimson glowing eyes, and a wide Cheshire grin quickly manifested from the blackness. Cyan crescents banded around its limbs and marked his face and belly.

With the spoon inserted into the slot the orange urn spun in place and black clouds billowed forth from its core. It wasn't long before the clouds took the shape of an Alakazam that easily towered over them. Like the Gengar, black crescent markings decorated the yellow fur of its body.

"It's been a while ya old fart!" Gengar cackled, taking up a fighting stance mere seconds after he materialized.

"I would say it was nice to see you, but I would be lying if I did," Alakazam replied with a withered voice, bringing his spoons up defensively over his chest.

"Why doncha come here so I can rip off that wrinkled head of yours and watch the dust fly out!"

"You may try but you shall fail. Have you learned nothing during your imprisonment? Neither of us can defeat the other, we're doomed to be locked in stalemate" the Psi Pokémon countered.

"Ehem" An unseen voice was heard clearing its throat.

The colossal combatants froze, their eyes slowly turning towards the source of the disruption.

"Oh, pardon me. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the golden phoenix asked with false innocence.

"Can we…help you?" the Gengar asked, turning to fully face them, his Cheshire smile curving downwards into a displeased grimace.

"Why have you released us?" the Alakazam inquired, cautiously lowering his spoons.

"I'm glad that you've asked. My name is Ho-oh and these are my compatriots, Uxie and Mewtwo. We've released you in hopes that you might join our cause."

"Like I haven't heard this before," Gengar groaned.

Ho-oh continued undaunted, choosing to ignore Gengar's commentary.

"We've summoned you so that you may take part in the extermination of the human race. Uxie tells me that you are essential for this to proceed smoothly. Can I expect that we shall have your cooperation?"

"What's in it for me?" the Gengar inquired, taking a step forward.

Uxie turned, giving Ho-oh the signal in the form of a curt nod.

"Mewtwo, hold him. Make sure he cannot face us," Ho-oh ordered.

Despite hearing the order the giant Gengar couldn't react fast enough and soon found himself tasting soil, his entire body pressed face down in the dirt.

Alakazam made no move to assist his long-time rival, instead he could only marvel at the cerulean aura that outlined all of Gengar's body. In all the times they had clashed, never had he been able to completely overtake Gengar's movements. Uxie floated swiftly towards the pinned giant, tsking as he went.

"Opportunity to continue living seems reasonable. Could easily kill fuel source maintaining you. Pull apart artifact afterwards," Uxie replied.

As if to emphasize his point, the Sprite of Intellect levitated the remains of the bell. Alakazam's eyes widened at the realization of what the misshapen ball once was.

"Jigglypuff! You…why?" the Psi Pokémon's voice wavered frightfully as he stepped back in horror.

"Needed example," Uxie simply stated before turning back to Gengar. "Lack of cooperation ill advised unless desired goal is to be…removed from equation. Would prefer not to subtract you. Will if necessary. Absorbing any of us pointless. Another from team can easily dispatch you. If absorbed, elimination of myself equates to elimination of all intelligence in existence. Eye contact would destroy every memory before absorption. Imagine that both options undesirable to all sentient life. Escape futile, have sentries from ocean floor to ozone layer. No place to hide. Resistance unnecessary. Tasks for you once assimilated into group not difficult. High probability of finding recreational enjoyment in process of doing tasks. What say you?"

Gengar muffled something unintelligible into the earth, to which Uxie spun to face Ho-oh.

The golden phoenix could only stare at the grey sprite with a mixture of awe and anxiety. In spite of having spoken so quickly and monotone, the way he had laid the options out to them would've inspired unadulterated dread. The sprite before him could be terrifying when he wanted to be.

"Intentions clarified. If reasonable and intelligent, will not retaliate now that parameters have been set. Would only demonstrate retard of intellect or inability to reason if course of aggression taken now. May release restraint to hear his response."

Ho-oh nodded to Mewtwo, the azure aura that outlined the gigantic ghost fading away as Mewtwo lowered his arm. The giant Gengar tested the return of his freedom, slowly lifting himself off the ground and coughing up the mouthful of dirt he'd swallowed.

"If while pinned explanation unclear, will be happy to repeat" Uxie offered before the Gengar shook his head.

"I'll join, I'll join, long as I don't have to listen to you talk anymore," the Gengar coughed out the last bits of dirt lodged in his throat.

"Excellent," Uxie replied in an oddly slow and satisfied way that made Ho-oh extremely uncomfortable. The grey sprite proceeded to turn excruciatingly slowly, setting his "sights" on their newest possible teammate. The sluggish shift in movement made the few hairs on ghost's body not standing at attention stick straight up. Admittedly Ho-oh could feel his feathers starting to erect themselves as fear slithered over his body.

A silent conversation passed between the two of them, though Ho-oh felt lucky to be spared what the sprite might be saying to the other psychic. Gengar seemed to share the sentiment as he watched his long-time rival periodically flinch as if Uxie had cracked a mental whip over his head. The dialogue felt unbearably long in the silence in spite of being only a few seconds.

Alakazam's arms hung lifelessly at his sides, his hands threatening to drop his spoons. One of his legs quivered before buckling entirely, bowing his head as he kneeled and placed his spoons on the ground before the Being of Intelligence.

"Everything I have I owe to you, you have my allegiance Uxie," the Alakazam said as he prostrated himself before the sprite.

"Holy shit!" Gengar muttered, having never seen his rival submit to anything so wholly and with such finality.

"Theatrics unnecessary. Joining team appreciated nonetheless. Hope both of you will work on same team without problems," Uxie said.

Gengar gave him a withering glare before nodding; hoping his small act of defiance would not invoke the wrath of the Creator of Intelligence.

"If it is your wish it then it shall be done my lord," Alakazam replied, evoking another quizzical stare from Gengar.

"Title undeserved. Ho-oh head of project. Partner in experiment. I have uploaded location to base of operations. Ask that you take Gengar with you. Will meet with you shortly to impart missions."

"As you wish," Alakazam responded without a moment's hesitation. Gengar could only stare as his rival's spoons were levitated off the floor and into his hands. The Pokémon he had fought centuries ago was now gone, replaced with an obedient servant that was currently offering him his spoon, equating to a hand. His eyes held no malice, as if the years of battle prior to their sealing were forgotten entirely.

"Insubordination dealt with swiftly and mercilessly," Uxie added before shadow giant touched the spoon.

Gengar's gaze flitted back to Alakazam before hesitantly touching the spoon and warping from the space with the Psi Pokémon.

"May now proceed to follow them and give instruction. Presence here no longer necessary," Uxie said.

"Yes, yes, of course. But before we go, might I ask what you told the Alakazam to inspire such reverence for you?" Ho-oh asked.

Uxie sighed with what Ho-oh could only imagine was the first sign of annoyance that the sprite had ever shown him. "Alakazam are creatures of intellect, more so than other psychics. Knowledge valued as much as air. Meeting creator of their lively hood akin to humans meeting their god. Am in uncomfortable position of being revered as much as Arceus."

"Many would kill for that kind of loyalty."

"Unnecessary reverence. Did not bestow knowledge, only gave tools with which to reach current status. Sculptor praised for creating art from block of marble, not manufacturer of chisel and hammer. Illogical to believe otherwise. Saddening to see one of such wisdom and intellect blinded by unnecessary worship. Another example of emotions becoming obstacle in clarity. Preferable to no longer have them. Allows for better work ethic."

"I see. Well then…let us be off," Ho-oh replied before making a motion to give Mewtwo the order.

"Before departure, have request to make of you. Reminded during conversation. Prefer to ask now."

Ho-oh turned to the sprite and giving him an apprehensive stare he knew Uxie would never see. "Yes…"

"Respectfully ask for use of Mewtwo."

Unsure of what to tell the sprite, Ho-oh quickly defaulted to asking him and basing his decision until he knew more. "Might I ask…why?"

"Understand importance of current mission. Capable of multitasking. In reading Mewtwo's mind discovered several things of interest. Analyzed previous battles and utilization of powers. Estimated ten percent use of capabilities."

"Only ten percent?" Ho-oh muttered, recalling everything that they he had done with Mewtwo up to this point. It was hard to fathom that he was only seeing only a fraction of what he was capable of, and even harder to imagine what the full scope of his powers would be at a hundred percent. "If he was so powerful, why didn't he go all out at me when we first met?"

"Unaware of full potential himself. Desired stealth over power. Limited opportunity to test out full extent of power. Potential almost limitless. In right hands could be even stronger," Uxie replied.

"And you believe you are those right hands?" Ho-oh shot back mildly.

"Yes. Capable of faster communication through telepathic speech. Eliminates obstacles that come with verbalization of orders. Being a psychic, know how to best utilize abilities. Several millennia of experience. Vast amounts of knowledge from extensive studies and analysis of all Pokémon, movesets and abilities. Merely wish to see specimen achieve full potential. Not doing so loss of opportunity. Wasteful. No intention of taking ownership of Mewtwo. Merely borrowing. Once satisfied with results of training, full ownership will be returned. Mutually beneficial to all in team. May even multitask. Adapt training to forwarding cause of current project. Reasonable request."

Ho-oh remained silent, longer than he felt was necessary to make a decision when all the reasoning he possessed and all facts presented to him pointed towards one choice. Uxie had been more than helpful to his cause. In fact, the Being of Intelligence could be the very reason that his plan was not doomed to failure. He had years of experience and knowledge about resources that the golden phoenix had never even dreamed about.

Denying his request amounted to blatant possessiveness over Mewtwo. Ho-oh could even admit that this very endeavor showed that he was no better than a medium between Uxie and Mewtwo. Having Uxie tell him what to do with Mewtwo was growing tedious at best.

"I cannot deny that Mewtwo would be better in your hands than mine," Ho-oh said. Still, a nagging voice in the back of his head told him that this might not be a good idea.

"Worry not. Will not abuse privilege. Your orders to Mewtwo still override any commands I give," Uxie replied in an attempt to pacify Ho-oh.

"That's comforting," Ho-oh replied, turning to Mewtwo floating stoically a few feet from them.

"_Trading one master for another_," Ho-oh mused before informing his puppet of his new and second master.


	2. Agenda

A single sliver of jade tore through the cold, thin air of the upper stratosphere. The clouds of ice glowed like a sea of gold as the rising sun shone over the atmosphere. Without warning, the emerald streak dipped towards the earth, diving through the sea of clouds. The mach cone surrounding it shunted the clouds aside, leaving only a massive hole in its wake. Seconds later, the _crack_ of a sonic boom tore through the rarified stratospheric air.

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><p>Rayquaza plunged through the atmosphere at supersonic speed. When he had entered the troposphere, he decelerated and scanned the shifting seas below him; New Island was easily spotted with his extraordinarily acute vision. As he drew closer to the stadium – devoid of everything except battle damage – the gusts of wind that powered the wind turbines died.<p>

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><p>Gengar and Alakazam had only just warped into existence within the chamber when the doors to the stadium slammed open.<p>

"HO-OH!" the Guardian of the Jet Stream roared. His thunderous voice echoed off the chamber walls.

The twin colossi exchanged disdainful glances before facing the serpentine dragon.

"He ain't here yet. Can I take a message?" Gengar replied. His voice dripped sarcasm.

"Now Gengar, let's not be rude. This may very well be one of Uxie's allies," Alakazam chided.

Rayquaza's once furrowed brow slowly lifted, unsure if what he was seeing was reality. It was not his first time seeing these particular Pokémon, seeing as he'd guarded the Earth's ozone layer for centuries. Yet, he had never expected them to tower over him. For a moment the Sky High Pokémon felt intimidated but quickly recuperated, scraping together the residual anger he had felt only seconds ago.

"Where is he? When is he coming back?" Rayquaza demanded, raising the upper half of his body while his lower half coiled into a neat bundle. His attempts at intimidating the giant Pokémon were quickly met with unimpressed glances, their reactions succeeding in visibly deflating him.

"They said that they would be arriving here shortly," Alakazam replied politely, doing his best to placate the disgruntled dragon.

Not another moment had passed before Ho-oh, Uxie, and Mewtwo warped into the space between the two.

"See! Told ya so," Gengar muttered under his breath.

The sprite and phoenix took a moment to take in their surroundings; only one of them was actually surprised to find Rayquaza among the group of those awaiting them on New Island.

"Rayquaza, it's a pleasure to see you so soon. I take the destruction of the human's satellites went easier than we'd anticipated?" Ho-oh asked. It was only when he looked upon Rayquaza's face that he realized that the Sky Sentinel was not pleased.

"Task completion highly unlikely when factoring the amount of satellites the humans have launched into the atmosphere over the years while also factoring in Rayquaza's speed as well as his-" Uxie began.

"_Thank Arceus you were given lungs! Had you no need to stop to breathe then there'd be no end to your babbling_," Ho-oh mentally said. His mind was one of the few safe havens from Uxie's mental reach. And he savored every moment of respite that it offered him.

"No, he's right. I have not completed my mission," Rayquaza replied, glancing at Uxie. He then turned back to Ho-oh "Several new incidents have come up that I believe warrant our attention. I'd like to discuss them with you if you're not terribly busy."

"Will take opportunity to inform new assistants of their missions. Already read Rayquaza's mind. Fully informed of situation. Have solution formulated. Will return when finished detailing mission parameters to others. Ample time for Rayquaza to explain," Uxie announced before turning to face Gengar and Alakazam. Mewtwo wordlessly followed the sprite, no doubt now taking mental orders that Uxie dished out.

Rayquaza threw the sprite a glare that would've sent lesser Pokémon scuttling for dear life, but just as Ho-oh had come to understand, the jade dragon quickly realized the futility of actions such as glares when it came to the "blind" sprite.

Ho-oh gave the dragon a sympathetic glance; internally relishing the acquirement of his newest attribute that made sure the Creator of Intelligence was not privy to his thoughts. He couldn't imagine what it was like to have one's mind be so naked before another, to have the privacy of one's innermost sanctum be so blatantly ignored.

"What seems to be the problem Rayquaza?" Ho-oh began, finding himself in the uncomfortable position of being the target of Rayquaza's anger.

"Several Pokémon are making holes through the planet's atmosphere –my atmosphere! They're doing more damage in a single day than the humans would've done in years! If we let this continue any longer there won't be a planet to retake from the humans! I fail to see how this is beneficial to anyone! Had I known you were planning this I would never have joined you. I demand answers!" Rayquaza roared, his gale force breath ruffling several of Ho-oh's feathers.

"I assure you that I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to. Please explain so that I may understand and help you."

"A large group of Muk are just some of the few responsible for this. I met with them and demanded that they stop, but they replied that they were doing this under your orders. Had it not been for the fact that I believed that they were affiliated with you, I would've eliminated them. Am I to understand that they are lying?" the Sky Sentinel roared.

"Rayquaza, believe me when I say that I gave no such order. My goal is a utopia for our race, free from humans. Your domain is a necessary and integral part of that world. I would never willingly allow the environment to suffer. I shall deal with this personally and rectify it as soon as possible. It would be foolish of me to do things that would turn away my own allies," Ho-oh replied in an attempt to placate the irate dragon.

"Be swift then Ho-oh, before my domain becomes riddled with holes and we all suffer," Rayquaza replied. His voice carried a hint of a plea; not that the Sky Sentinel would ever admit that.

"Solution already formulated. Ready to depart when ready," Uxie added as he joined the conversation. Gengar and Mewtwo silently hovered behind him.

"I imagine that you informed them of their missions," Rayquaza bitterly replied.

"Benefit of telepathy. Orders delivered at faster rate. Already sent Alakazam to recruit more to cause. Know sites of atmospheric disturbance. Recent obstacles create slight deviation to plan. Can still multitask but will have to redistribute resources. Established deadline of successful goal pushed back." Uxie continued droning on about deadlines and calculations he had used to come up with said numbers.

"How long will this take?" Ho-oh groaned.

"General estimate…several weeks. Probability of additional month is high. Rayquaza makes valid point. Delay necessary if rest of project is to come to fruition. May need assistance of Lugia's brother. Recommend Rayquaza. Can search for him while we handle groups causing atmospheric erosion," Uxie droned on.

"What do you say Rayquaza?"

Rayquaza nodded. "Fair enough. I shall find this Lugia while you clean up this mess." Wisps of smoke trickled from the jade dragon's nostrils before he uncoiled his body, slithered through the air and out of the stadium.

A distant sonic boom was heard as Rayquaza flew off in search of Lugia's brother.

Once the phoenix was sure the dragon was out of earshot he released the breath he hadn't known he was holding. Death was not something that he feared, but the ozone guardian's presence was no less intimidating. "It seems someone is using my plan to forward their own agenda," he muttered.

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><p>Lake Acuity had been Uxie's "home" for centuries. Like his kin, he lay dormant and hidden from the rest of the world, encased in a psychic bubble to protect him from the elements and unwanted visitors. Over time their self-imposed exile grew tedious and boring; one could only sleep and busy themselves with their own thoughts and imaginations for so long.<p>

It was Azelf who first learned astral projection, wasting no time in teaching his siblings so that they could have a semblance of freedom once more. What they did with their time was now up to them. They had all of eternity to keep themselves busy.

Azelf spent most of his time watching humans; utterly fascinated by how they used the gift he had given them. It amazed him to no end how unpredictable humans could be. The same scenario could bring forth several different choices from just a handful of people. Uxie could easily theorize the possibilities but for Azelf, seeing the choices one made in life was another thing entirely.

Mesprit spent most of her time scouring the regions for emotional interactions between Pokémon and humans alike. Over the centuries she became a hopeless romantic, watching human couples come together and fall in love, struggle through the hardships of life, and eventually persevere or fail. Uxie imagined that were she ever to turn her sights to human literature, she would indulge in what humans referred to as "cheesy" romance novels.

There were times she would follow the lives of single family. Laughing with them in the good times and crying with them with every loss. It was not uncommon to find her watching the same family after several generations had passed. Uxie had often warned her of the dangers of growing too attached to those she watched; the lifespan of a human was just a drop of water in the ocean when compared to their own lifespan of millennia.

Uxie often times silently watched her delude herself into believing she was part of the very family she watched. He pitied her curse, pitied that no one, not even he or Azelf, could embrace her and show her the affection she so greatly desired without being drained of it themselves. As powerful as she was, she envied the very creatures she had given emotions to.

As for Uxie, he spent centuries analyzing, researching and compiling data on each and every species that called Earth their home. He found some kind of enjoyment in organizing things into different categories and recategorizing them when he found something that didn't fit his earlier design.

He watched as humans pursued the fields of art and science, often feeling tortured in his role as the silent observer when he found human professors pondering questions he had answered long ago. At times his patience reached its limit and he would scream the answers they sought into their ears, knowing they would never hear him in his astral form.

The sprite of intellect would watch them fail time and time again; he saw the best and the brightest of humanity developing flawed theories and explanations for the world around them only to realize years later that were mistaken. They would come up with several more flawed conclusions before finally getting onto the right path.

With time he came to understand it was best he didn't give humans the answers they sought. He often doubted humanity was ready to hear answers they searched for. Many of them were answers they needed to hear, not answers they wanted to hear. Handing them the answers before they were ready was like giving a gun to a child and expecting him to use it responsibly. The right knowledge at the wrong time could spell disaster for their entire race.

Yet despite all their flaws he ultimately found humanity to be one of the more interesting species on the planet, developing much faster than any of the other sentient races. Often times he wondered what life would've been like for the humans had the roles been switched with Pokémon that had just as much potential to rise, like Alakazam or Machamp? The very idea of the Psi evolutionary line going out at the age of ten and capturing humans to fight in battles was rather amusing to the Being of Knowledge.

With all the regions as their playground, it was a wonder that they ever met with one another. Finding more than one of them in a single region was rare, but there were times the sprites would cross paths; however, it was never how any of them would've liked.

War.

War always found some way to unite them.

Mesprit would follow the tearful separations between lovers and families as they took up arms and left for distant lands. Uxie monitored the humans as they developed new and ingenious ways to eliminate their own species.

Whenever the three did meet the exchange of words was short, small talk had been abandoned long ago. They would stare out at the battlefield in silence, breaking it only to share what they had seen in their time apart to shed some light on the carnage before them.

Sometimes the gaps between their meetings were long, but more often than not they found themselves reuniting every few decades.

They had watched towns and cities be razed to the ground, vast empires and kingdoms fall.

Uxie eventually discarded his faith in that humanity would learn from the mistakes of their forefathers, and although Azelf argued someone could break the cycle, history had yet to show any sign that Azelf might be right.

Uxie often wondered whether humanity was just a mixture of sadism and masochism, doomed to fall into the same bloody rituals for all of eternity. Mesprit vehemently argued they were not, but failed to convince her analytical brother when all the facts were laid out on the table.

Each of them found different ways of coping with the sight of thousands dying in the fields of battle. Azelf became numb to it over time, while Uxie found it easier to see everything in numbers. Every loss was just another point subtracted from the greater equation. Mesprit was the only one that never really got used to the senseless slaughter; there wasn't a single battle that hadn't made her cringe and cry.

History devolved into legend; legend devolved into fable. The human race had learned nothing from their past. Over time, humanity stopped becoming interesting for Uxie. Their progress had stopped entirely, stagnating in their efforts to continue the cycle of hatred and feed the insatiable hunger of their greed.

The wars seemed to blend into the same old argument, old grudges pointlessly rekindled. At their core, the wars were never really different from one another in Uxie's eyes.

The only real difference was the new technology introduced into each "new" war. Different names and faces for the same kinds of leaders. Old reasons labeled differently to justify the same hefty losses. What had started off as a battle of sticks and stones had evolved into one of tactics, bombings, and bullets.

In time, things would quiet down to let the dust settle, but the sprites couldn't help but wonder how long the peacetime would last. Peace had become just another break, to allow each region time to build up their numbers before the next round of killing began.

It was upon his dampener removal Uxie came to an epiphany.

Humanity's progress had reached its limit. As a race they could advance no further. Whether they knew or wanted to they had unconsciously fallen back on their own primitive desires. Eventually their wars would escalate to where they nearly wiped themselves out, leaving only a few straggling survivors to pick up the pieces and start over. And make the same mistakes.

But what if the humans were all gone?

Other races like the Alakazam could be given the opportunity they needed advance themselves without the threat of capture or servitude. Who was to say they couldn't reach the same pinnacle of technology that humanity had and even surpass them? The ideas were rushing through Uxie's brain faster he could process them.

He would no longer need to play the role of the silent observer; he could take an active role in the creation of the next dominant sentient race of the planet.

But for now, his knowledge of the regions and its inhabitants was needed to rectify the first of many hiccups in Ho-oh's experiment that required humanity's genocide.

It was safe to say that Uxie knew the layout of each region fairly well; given the centuries he'd had to study each one in depth. Reading Rayquaza's mind was easy enough and sifting through his extensive memory helped bring up the image of the human settlement he recalled that the humans knew as Hearthome City.

A quick imprint of the image into Mewtwo's mind and a mental command to teleport them there reduced what would have taken hours into a few seconds.

Iron obelisks greeted them from a distance, black towers of smoke were scattered randomly throughout the steel jungle.

"Whoa! The humans have done pretty well for themselves since I've been gone," Gengar said in awe despite the city's obvious destruction.

"Admiration understandable. Technological advancement in human race began to climb after imprisonment. Imagine last experience with human settlements was centuries ago when designs were…simpler," Uxie replied.

"I would be pleased with this destruction had it not angered my newest ally," Ho-oh muttered, turning to Uxie for some kind of input as to the next phase of his plan.

Without warning a pool of purple sludge warped into their midst, hovering before them, seemingly frozen in place. The Muk's only movements were the two white spheres of its eyes that swiveled around in mixture of fear and curiosity.

"What the-" The giant shadow said with a jump, a fact that Ho-oh found surprising considering the Gengar's power and bulk.

"Uxie, what is the meaning of this?" Ho-oh asked with a sigh. He had already grown used to Uxie doing things without his consent.

"Had Mewtwo stretch out senses. Impressive range. Ordered him to teleport specimen to us."

"Can he hear us?"

"Yes. All existing senses still intact," Uxie replied.

"Is this their leader?" Ho-oh asked, glancing at the Muk and then back at Uxie.

"No. Another pawn, so to speak. Finding individual in charge difficult. Unsure if limited to simply one leader and not group. Found it easier to take one and read mind."

"I see you've restrained him."

"Necessary. Rest of group in aggressive state. Attacking inhabitants of city. Finding out why. Surprising amounts of planning gone into attack on city. Impressive results considering short amount of time to formulate. Effective. Tactical planning not beyond intellectual range for Muk, but not common among those in wild. Interesting. Could have been something to study for future."

"Uxie! You can admire them later!" Ho-oh barked, breaking the sprite out of his ramblings.

The yellow sprite didn't flinch but automatically turned to face the phoenix. "Ah. Apologies. As for suggestion, opportunities to study will not be possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Muk thrive in areas of waste. Unwanted by humans in cities and unwanted by Pokémon in wild. Coexistence with others in wild difficult due to neighboring Pokémon exhibiting heightened senses of smell. Not uncommon for Muk to be forced into city by aggressive Pokémon in wild. Muk typically forced to live in sewers beneath city to avoid human aggression. Limited light. Limited mobility. Dampener removal and message from you initiated desire to take and expand territory. Despite our eminence, chances of reasoning with them to stop are…low. Will have to eliminate entire species." Uxie's last words were disturbingly nonchalant.

"The entire race!" Ho-oh said under his breath, unconsciously backing away from a sprite.

"Yes. Subtraction necessary if continued cooperation of Rayquaza desired."

"Uxie, wiping out a group of Muk that have taken advantage of the situation is one thing. Exterminating an… one does not just simply decide to eliminate _an entire species of Pokémon_!"

"Necessary if desired goal is world where nature thrives without humans. Speculated this might happen with Muk before leaving island. Assumed you had reached similar conclusion. Apparently mistaken," Uxie replied without skipping a beat.

"Very mistaken! If you thought things would come to this, why didn't you tell me to be sure?" the sky guardian growled.

"Although probability was high. Wasn't sure if hypothesis correct. Needed clarification from live specimen. Believed Gengar's presence in the group obvious hint towards motives," the sprite of intellect explained.

"Uxie, I'll be the first to admit the Muk and Grimer are not the best of our species, but there could be serious ramifications to wiping all of them out."

"Considered consequences when making decision. Studied Muk for several years. Waste that Muk thrive in is of human invention. Can even be considered byproduct of human refuse. Environment may actually benefit from their elimination. Negative repercussion on environment from their genocide is minimal. Eliminating humanity equated to eliminating environment of Muk and eventual extinction."

Ho-oh could only openly gawk at the sprite, astonished by the sheer callousness of his logic. Yet, despite the complete and utter ruthlessness, there was a hint of truth in what he spoke. He had never considered the idea that certain Pokémon depended on the existence of humanity to survive.

Several awkward moments later, Uxie spoke. "Am I to understand you will no longer be able to make decisions necessary to ensure progress towards goal?" he inquired, tilting his head innocently to the side.

Ho-oh's blood froze within his veins, the feathers of his body now raised as a shiver ran down the phoenix's spine.

It was then that Ho-oh knew he could never allow Uxie to take control of his noble crusade. Several species would be slaughtered without hesitation if Uxie were in charge. He would have to accept that in times of war, losses were bound to happen, if not entirely necessary for the greater good.

Ho-oh turned to Mewtwo, stoically floating beside the sprite.

"_We cannot stop now. There is no going back from what I've done. We can only go forward and make sure that tomorrow is brighter. But to be responsible for the genocide of the entire race of Poké_-" Ho-oh shook his head as if to purge the blasphemous thought. "_No! I cannot think of them as Pokémon. They're just another putrid invention of humanity, like pollution and garbage!_" he said mentally. Once he had mentally stripped the Muk of their status as Pokémon, it would be easier slaughter all of them without second thoughts.

"No Uxie, that will not be necessary. The few will simply have to suffer for the betterment of the majority. Any ideas as to how we shall eliminate this particular group?" the rainbow phoenix asked, doing his best to keep his voice firm as to keep some semblance of control.

"Couldn't one of us just use a fire attack and blow them all up in a single hit?" Gengar suggested.

"Not possible. Sludge species able to change pH balance through rapid hydrogen ion exchange," Uxie explained. He was met only with silence. Had Uxie's eyes been open he would've found both Gengar and Ho-oh staring at him with dumbfounded expressions.

"Is it just me or did you not understand a single fucking thing he just said?" Gengar asked to the sky guardian.

"Uxie, could you please use simpler terms that we can understand?" Ho-oh asked, feeling a moment of solidarity through incomprehension with the giant shadow Pokémon.

Uxie sighed, clearly not accustomed to explaining things that were so elementary to him.

"Ability of Muk to coexist with one another required sense of smell to diminish until no longer there. Sight and taste also diminished over time. Species compensates by having excellent sense of touch. Sludge species able to recognize surroundings through vibrations in air and ground. Can also sense changes in temperature very quickly. Able to change acidity to basic levels. Allows the species to avoid wiping out entire biosphere and let trainers make physical contact without danger of damage through acidity. Also allows them to survive near open flames without entire group being eliminated," Uxie explained. He spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"As byproduct of metabolism, Muk exude ignitable fumes from their equally ignitable bodies when in acidic state. Sludge species also adept at sensing temperature changes from long distances. When temperature increases in vicinity, Muk rapidly change bodies from acidic to basic. Nothing but direct contact with extremely high temperatures will ignite bodies. To ignite them through fumes alone would require Muk to remain in area for several days, constantly emitting volatile fumes. Would not wait until then, unless desired goal is to anger Rayquaza."

"Which it is not," Ho-oh added tersely.

"Precisely, which is why you're here," Uxie replied, turning to face the giant Gengar.

"Hold on, why did you need me?" Gengar asked as he defensively raised his arms, his signature Cheshire smile gone.

"Poison typing allows you to enter their domain without risk of dying from fumes or physical contact with them. Muk can be stable fuel source once absorbed. Presence within group necessary for experiment to succeed. Would never willingly put you in harm's way. Ask that you enter city and absorb any Muk you come across."

Gengar stared off into the city, still amazed by how far humans had come since he had been last imprisoned.

"_New targets, same job_," he mentally said. He then headed towards the city. Everything that he saw was sucked into the void that was his body.

All the while a single Muk floated before the phoenix and the sprite. The pile of living sludge hovered before the two, unable to speak or move but privy to everything the Legendaries said. It would be a while before they remembered he was still there. The last thing that the Muk saw before he was vaporized was a torrent of gleaming pink fire. At that point, he welcomed death; being released from his mortal coil was preferable to being forced to listen to how his entire race would be destroyed; a conversation spoken as if he were not even there.


	3. The Weakest Link

**A big thanks to Zarrelion of betaing this chapter.**

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><p>Waves crashed against the vacant shores of Olivine City before slowly receding back into the sea as the beams of warm sunlight played across the shimmering sand. Remnants of Olivine City's grand beachfront buildings lay all around the beach like the bones of some great beast. The harbor, which would have been full of fisherman landing their catches, was totally still. The trawlers, moored in the nearby bobbed in the waves like steel ghosts; their crew killed by the undampened Pokémon or hiding inland.<p>

The undampening had not been as severe here as it had with other human settlements, but that wasn't to say the city had gone unscathed. Despite the cloudless day, Olivine looked to have weathered a tropical storm with so many of its buildings battered and beaten. The fishermen, normally making their catches of the day, had abandoned their posts by the docks, having possibly retreated to the safety of their homes or the houses of healing the humans used for their Pokemon.

The stench of human blood filled the air with every wave that smashed against the docks. The normally blue waters had the faintest hint of red in them. Lugia could practically taste the carnage he had missed as he floated over the city, wondering what had caused it and where it had gone.

"_Destroy the remaining settlements of the region_." Ho-oh's words echoed within Lugia's mind, forcing him to shake off his curiosity and focus on the task at hand. He closed his eyes, sensing several auras within the human dwellings. This would be the first city to meet his wrath; the first he had found that wasn't already completely leveled. A few flaps from his great wings could create a windstorm of terrifying proportions – a cyclonic monster a few miles in diameter capable of tearing apart anything in its path.

But where would be the fun in that?

Lugia stared wistfully into the distance, knowing that the island where they had caged him was still out there, somewhere. Although his sleek, silver skin had healed well, with no blemishes to show for his suffering; his mind was a different story. The memories and phantom pains had not faded; instead they festered like a purulent sore.

Day after day they cut and probed, shocked and injected him with their newest concoctions, made specifically to enhance his suffering. There were moments he would wish for the sweet release of death, only to be torn from the brink when they healed him against his will. They had used him to test out tortures they feared would be too intense for their other captives.

He would cry, bargain, scream, and even beg them to tell him why they were doing this to him. Not once did they answer any of his questions; not once did they dignify him with a response. It was only when they were done with him; leaving him a mere shell of the Legendary he once was that he put the pieces together.

He could remember how they broke him down, chipping away at his mind and sanity, piece by piece. With every day of torment he would segregate a part of his mind. A part of him would try to reason why they were doing this to him, only to be broken off and sent to the darkest corners of his mind.

When his anger threatened to take over, he segregated that part as well, seeing as nothing would come from giving into it. None of his struggles or the rebellions he waged against them changed his situation. In fact all those gestures of defiance did was make his tortures worse.

They continued this process until he was nothing but a husk, empty of all emotions and thoughts. The torture had stopped entirely at that point; he did as they asked without question or thought of betrayal.

"Lugia."

The diving Legendary spun around to find the Sentinel of the Jet Stream, swooping down for a landing. The air around them shimmered as if the land had ignited. The emerald dragon's head was forced down as if by an anvil.

"I-I come on behalf of Ho-oh." Rayquaza feebly thrashed underneath the unseen force. In reply, Lugia turned his eyes to those of the emerald dragon.

Rayquaza let out an involuntary gasp as Lugia's eyes – pupilless and ablaze with raw psychic energy bored deep into his psyche, baring every secret.

Several seconds slowly ticked by as Lugia laid bare Rayquaza's mind.

"My apologies, I had to make sure you were telling the truth," the silver Legendary said. His eyes were no longer white-hot spheres of pure elemental might but chips of deep-sea blue ice.

"And how exactly did you figure I was…" the green serpent frowned as a disgusted hiss escaped his closed mouth. "Psychics," he muttered under his breath.

"What does the bird want?" Lugia asked under his breath, resuming his watch of the city.

"What? You don't already know? I thought you'd already pried that bit of knowledge when you went _diving through_ _my mind!_" Rayquaza shouted.

In reply, the chips of blue ice glared back at him. "And I might do it again if you're not going to tell me in the next few seconds."

With an aggravated sigh, the Sky High Legendary begrudgingly let his anger subside. "There's been a change of plans. Ho-oh and Uxie request your presence at our base of operations immediately. I was sent to escort you back there as soon as I found you."

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment," Lugia replied. _And who or what is this 'Uxie'__?_ He thought.

Rayquaza peered over Lugia's wing, finding the human settlement battered, but noticeably intact.

"Clearly," the jade dragon commented dryly.

"I only just recently arrived."

"Then it's a shame you have to leave so soon. You won't be able to summon so much as a single gale with me around."

It was at this moment Lugia suddenly realized how unnaturally still the air was. He turned his body fully towards the Sky Guardian. "Cease this at once," the sea guardian's brother growled.

"You're in no position to be giving me orders! And even if I wanted to I couldn't. My presence has that effect on the surroundings."

"Then leave," Lugia rumbled, motioning with the tilt of his head in a random far off direction.

"I have no intention of going anywhere now that I've found you. Besides, from the looks of it, leaving this settlement intact would be within our best interests."

"What do you mean?"

"Can you not smell it? There is hope and ignorance here. This settlement's undampening was gentle; our wild brethren are far away. This place appears to be the ideal haven from the elements and will shine like a beacon to those who've survived the fires of ruin. They shall crawl from out of their holes and make their way here with the promise of asylum. Let the populace grow larger, so that when you return or another returns, the slaughter shall be plentiful."

Lugia found himself begrudgingly nodding at the logic before eventually sighing, "Fair enough, let's go."

"Do try to keep up," Rayquaza added before slithering away through the air. Lugia gazed silently at the ocean before turning and following suit; an unspoken vow to find that island and raze it passed through his mind.

* * *

><p>Raikou lay atop the concrete surface of the radio tower. The Legendary's lightning bolt tail lazily swished back and forth as he stretched out his limbs and yawned. The skies were dark save for brief flashes along the sea of gray clouds, illuminating the inner workings of active thunderheads.<p>

Goldenrod's streets were now vacant, not that they could be called streets anymore. Countless bolts had purged the earth of all traces of humanity, leaving molten trenches of glass. Kyogre's army of Crawdaunt had retreated back to the sea, the angrily glowing fields of molten glass proving inhospitable to them.

In his boredom, the Emperor of Storm Clouds had seen fit to leave no structure standing, save the one his master had ordered him to guard. Now, with nothing taller than a pebble for miles around, he wondered whether or not he should've been more restrained in the way he had passed the time.

_I wonder what my brothers are doing_. The lightning dog pondered bitterly with a sigh.

"I see you've been busy Raikou."

At the sound of his master's voice, the aforementioned Legendary leapt onto his feet, rapidly pivoting about until he faced the source. Ho-oh was perched along the outer edge of the building, scanning the island of glass that blossomed from its base. Mewtwo and another pokémon Raikou didn't recognize bobbed gently in the air behind his master, waiting silently and patiently.

"Master." Raikou bowed. "My apolo-"

"Are unnecessary," the phoenix interjected. "I have not been very kind to you Raikou and for that you have _my_ apologies."

The thunder hound did a double take before bowing again, his head so close to the ground he was practically speaking into the floor.

"You honor me," Raikou voiced loud enough so that his master could hear him, all the while wondering what had caused his master's sudden change in character. It wasn't like his master never cared for his well-being before, but the tenderness in his voice was disarming.

"No, Raikou. If I truly honored you, I wouldn't have all of your power wasted on stationary structures. Your part to play in my plan was necessary, but I regret that it has left you in such a spiritless state. I regret to say that I will need your services once more in another task, lamentably similar to this one."

"If it is your wish it shall be done," Raikou replied without a moment's hesitation.

"I promise you Raikou, that this will be the last time I task you with the role of guard dog. There has been an insurrection with a group of pokémon known as Muk. I hope you are familiar with them," Ho-oh said.

"I am."

"We have cleared out what was to be their initial base of operations. There is a possibility that some may have escaped. In the event that they attempt to retake the city, demonstrate the penalty for going against me."

"I shall see it done mast-" Raikou began before blinking out of existence.

Ho-oh slowly turned at the culprit of his minion's disappearance, giving him a baleful glare.

"I was not yet done with him, Uxie."

"Conversation appeared concluded. Pleasantries unnecessary. Time is of essence."

"Well then, but I would appreciate if for future endeavors you wait until I'm-"

"-Done," the phoenix ended, suddenly disoriented by the sudden change in scenery.

Yellow. All the rainbow phoenix could see was a sea of vermilion that filled the once empty reception chamber of Mewtwo's former facility. Ho-oh eyed the spots of brown and slivers of silver that peeked from this ever-shifting ocean. Uxie and Mewtwo warped in beside him and like the coming of an instant ice age, the golden sea froze and turned.

The silent and analytic stares of a hundred Kadabra and Alakazam bored into them for several tense seconds. Row by row, they began to bow, momentarily placing their spoons on the ground before them. Like waves of yellow dominos they briefly fell to their knees, holding the position for at least a single heartbeat before returning to whatever task they had been doing.

"Uxie…what is this?" Ho-oh marveled, watching the structured and organized rows devolve back into chaos.

"Sent Alakazam to recruit allies," Uxie replied plainly as he and Mewtwo made their way through the golden throng of psi pokémon. Despite floating several meters off the ground, the sea of psychics parted to allow Uxie passage. Ho-oh flew after them, noting that the clear path the psi evolutionary line had offered the sprite disappeared for him.

Neither Mewtwo nor Uxie had to waste a thought to open the doors to the stadium, two Alakazam posted at each door taking it upon themselves to do it for them. The phoenix quickly realized the amount of psychics within the reception hall was nothing compared to the group that awaited them outside.

The stands of the entire stadium were filled to the brim and alive with movement. Metal panels floated off and onto different areas; the lights of the stadium flickered as the psychics tinkered with their inner workings.

"Where did you…find so many?" Ho-oh inquired, turning every which way in an attempt to fully grasp the staggering amount of allies now at their disposal.

"Studied psi evolutionary line for several decades. Know frequented habitats. Uploaded memory of said areas into Alakazam's mind. Sent him to recruit there," Uxie explained as he made his way down the hole in the stadium that lead to the cloning room.

"How did you convince so many of them to join us?"

"Uploaded detailed explanation of motives behind undampening and future goals into Alakazam's mind. Once in contact with potential recruits, exchange of data would commence. Included mention of resources, such as current allies and facilities. Once data exchange complete, only logical conclusion is to join winning side. Took advantage of their perception of me as deity," Uxie continued as they slowly descended through the lower levels of the stadium and out of earshot and telepathic range of the psychics.

A flicker of glee tingled within Ho-oh's chest, the promise of success bringing a smile to his beak. "And they all agreed?"

"Hard to argue with facts, especially when viewed from logical standpoint to be stacked in our favor," the sprite replied as they were greeted by the lights of the cloning room.

The Being of Knowledge hovered before a conveyor belt that fed into the cave of mechanical clamps.

"What were they doing to this facility?" Ho-oh asked, making no attempt to conceal the awe that seeped into his words.

"Took liberty of having Alakazam relay instructions to fortify and modify facility. Locations of several cities were also included. As per instructions, several teams were sent to recover and strip settlements of materials. Abundance of available steel based structures advances plans significantly. Resources repurposed. Allows materials to not go to waste. Doubtful humans will need civilization anymore."

A shiny obsidian sphere, outlined in a blue psychic aura, floated out from the opposite end of the conveyor belt and hovered before the gray and yellow sprite. Uxie rotated it slowly, curiously examining it every which way despite the lack of sight.

"What is that?" Ho-oh asked, looking over the Uxie's shoulder.

"According to Mewtwo's memories it is an advanced capturing device developed by him. Will be useful in capturing future specimens," Uxie replied.

The flame of optimism the phoenix had felt earlier dimmed out and died as the curve of his smile twisted into a frown upon his beak.

"Specimens?" Ho-oh repeated cantankerously.

"Why yes. Will have to mass-produce capturing device first. Reprogram to capture specific targets. Once captured and brought here, cloning process can begin."

"Cloning!" the phoenix spat, as if the word itself were poison.

"Of course. Necessary if we are to achieve goal."

"When were you planning to tell me of this? This was not part of my plan!"

Uxie floated silently before the seething Legendary, unmoved by his ire.

"Assumed you had reached similar conclusion. Cloning was best way to make up for personal faults."

"Faults?" Ho-oh growled defensively.

"Yes. Glaring weakness in your character lies in inability to persuade those who do not share similar goals. Only true loyalties lie with dogs and Mewtwo. Former due to life debt. Latter due to complete control of actions. Total subtraction of humanity without losses to our side highly improbable. Unable to comprehend why cloning option presents elevated aggression levels. Clear distaste in Mewtwo's origin evident. Through use of cloning facility, can create disposable army that will fight and die to ensure success. No loss of actual pokémon, only clones."

Ho-oh's rage began to simmer, the blows to his ego making him sober to the sense behind Uxie's logic. As much as the phoenix hated to admit it, the sprite was right about his weaknesses. The other Legendaries were furthering their own interests through his crusade, their loyalty only good until their desires were met. Once achieved, what then? How would he keep their devotion?

Alliances forged through fear and resentment were brittle ones at best. Who was he kidding? Uxie held all the power in their relationship, whether he knew it or not. The Alakazam and their pre-evolved forms variants revered Uxie like a god. Gengar couldn't so much as lift a finger against him considering the range of his telepathy, the presence of his insurmountable rival, those stronger than him, and finally Uxie himself. Killing the sprite of intellect ensured the permanent loss of sapience for every thinking organism. In other words, Uxie was damn near untouchable.

Uxie was the only reason his plan had any direction or had even made it this far and not fallen apart. Ho-oh's plan was not so different from an avalanche; easy to start but wild and uncontrollable, leaving loads of collateral damage like the Muk in its wake. He could count the amount of resources he controlled on a single claw, while Uxie's would require all the feathers on a wing.

The intellect Legendary could easily continue without the support of him and his dogs, even Mewtwo's absence would only become a minor setback. The loyalties of the other Legendaries could easily shift to whoever held power. In the end, if his noble crusade was to succeed, he would need the sprite's support.

_Does he even really need me_? The phoenix wondered, fearing the answer with each passing second. _W__hat if he doesn't_?

Ho-oh wracked his brain to find something of use he could offer the sprite as to not seem utterly useless. His frustration and dread only grew when it became apparent he had nothing he could offer that couldn't be easily replaced. _Why does he even keep me around? _He thought.

Surely it couldn't come from any sense of loyalty; Ho-oh doubted Uxie was even capable of that notion. But then why keep him? Asking him would only bring attention to his current uselessness if it weren't already apparent. Ho-oh doubted Uxie, the Legendary of intelligence who had taken every available resource into account, would've overlooked something like this.

Was there something Ho-oh had to offer that he himself wasn't aware of yet?

_Only time will tell, and until then I'll have to be on my guard_. Ho-oh settled for this conclusion. "Very well Uxie. You are right. Sacrificing clones will be…better than any losses to our kind," Ho-oh replied+.

"Will continue with work. Project can continue faster now that you understand," Uxie replied.

Mewtwo shifted wordlessly to the computer screen behind them, the action alone bringing about a double take from the phoenix before he realized Uxie had probably sent a mental order to him. The genetic pokémon typed rapidly across the keyboard, images flashing in rapid succession across the screen across the screen.

"Uxie, I was meaning to ask you earlier before you brought us here…where did you send Gengar before we left to meet Raikou?"

"Same mission parameters as Alakazam were given. Uploaded location of potential allies. Recruiting should require minimal persuasion considering their nature," Uxie replied, his back still to him.

Ho-oh opened his beak before thinking better of it but he quickly closed it with an audible _click_. Wordlessly, he flew from the room, ascending through the floors until he reached the stadium once more. Of the thousand pairs of eyes that had once converged on Uxie, not a single Kadabra or Alakazam dignified him with a look. He could blame it on his dark typing, making him invisible and untouchable to the psychics, but he knew this was not the case.

Their demeanor held no disdain for his presence but there was none of the reverence they had displayed from before when he passed by their range of vision. He was less than an afterthought to them; the dust Uxie's shadow had touched was worth in their eyes than him.

The blows to his pride made him grimace as he flew across the stadium. Where he was going, he had no clue. Somewhere to think in peace and wait – if such a thing still existed on this island. He would have to wait and see how things played out and plan, plan to maintain his continued presence in his noble crusade.


	4. From Ghost to Coast

**Whew. It's been a while. Practically half a year since I've updated. Hopefully that'll be the longest I'll go without writing. These last few months have been rough for me, especially with the destruction of my computer, and effectively all of my notes on this story (not to mention a ton of other things). **

**I haven't recovered a lot of the story stuff that I lost, but I still technically have the info in my noggin. Having them in actual words made organization and coordinating with the other writers easier. **

**I'll be honest, the loss (on top of a slew of other things going on in my life at the time) was demoralizing enough to where I didn't feel like I wanted to keep writing this series, but when I look at the reviews you guys leave me and all the support you send, I know you all are worth the effort to keep going. **

**So if you still have the patience to be there for me, so will I. My updates may not be as frequent, but for the most part, it looks like I'm back in the game.  
><strong>

**As usual, I thank Zarrelion for such an excellent job betaing this chapter. **

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><p><strong>August 18<br>**

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><p>Dark and ominous clouds carpeted the skies east of the Coronet Mountain Range. The veil proved impenetrable to the watery lunar light, keeping the world below in shadow. Silence reigned at the woods near the base of the mountain. The soundtrack of Sinnoh's nocturnal woodland inhabitants was gradually replaced with indescribable static that swept through the forest like a tempest as the temperature suddenly and inexplicably plunged below freezing in seconds.<p>

The air itself seemed to crystallize as moisture within every leaf of every tree froze into icy spikes. Denizens of the forest swore the trees were splintered by some unseen force as their ears were assaulted by the sound of a thousand cracks erupting from each tree. It wasn't long before they felt the biting cold wash over them like a plague. Those that remained stared in equal parts awe and horror as the forest died around them.

A seemingly endless stream of snaps sounded through the forest, each one marking the fall of countless leaves that rained over the understory. Hundreds of pokémon fled and flew amidst the leafy chaos, unsure of where to run, where to hide and confused as to what exactly was happening. Every heated breath released a patch of mist to join the cries of fear that filled the air until everything gradually quieted down.

Sprawled throughout the woods over a bed of frigid leaves were those too slow to escape the arctic onset. Within seconds, nothing stirred, save the minute twitches of fallen pokémon that surrendered their warm breath to the malicious frigid aura that saturated the air.

It came softly at first, barely a whisper above the agonized groans of the dying forest. Eventually, it grew louder and louder until it became a deafening roar.

Raucous laughter and childish giggles filled the void of silence. Hysteric squeals of glee pierced the frigid night as the demented laugh track continued, taking obvious delight at the massacre. The intended audience for the audible mirth was the one that had laughed to begin with. Said creature was watching high above the forest.

It seemed as though every shade of the purple spectrum swirled lazily beneath the sea of gray clouds. Amidst the lavender whirlwind were black and white figures, speckled dots of pinks, reds, yellows and greens peeking from the amethyst maelstrom. At its epicenter stood a figure that towered over the twister, dark pupils swimming back and forth within glowing scarlet pools.

Gengiga — the name that the giant Gengar now preferred to call himself — flashed his signature Cheshire smile, which grew even wider at the sight of similar grins mirrored back at him.

"So, how was that for a _warm up_?" he cackled, his comment was quickly met with hundreds of deafening cheers. "_Nice to see some things never change_," Gengiga mused, chuckling at their enthusiasm. "Now that we've got that outta the way, let's talk about why we're all here." The giant shadow pokémon's eyes played across his audience with a passing glance.

"I recognize some of you," Gengiga said as he eyed his kin. "Others…not so much."

Froslass, Mismagius, Spiritomb and myriad other ghost pokémon of all shapes and sizes bobbed gently around him, their attention undivided as they drank in his icy voice with bated breath. "But in the end, none of that matters. What matters is what we all have in common." Silence overtook the army of ghosts, a feat rarely achieved considering their nature.

Gengiga smiled even wider. "It's often been said of our kind by others — I like to think that it still holds true today — that we like to have…_fun._"

A general murmur of agreement went through the phantom populace, eventually agreeing on the established word with its ability to encompass and define their centuries long past time.

"An…associate of mine has given us all the opportunity to have…a party." Gengiga giggled at the euphemism and was joined in on the inside joke with several hundred snickers and hoots.

"The best part about our little celebration is that everyone's invited. Tell your friends, tell your relatives, and be sure to get them into the spirit of it. It's a party on this planet and you're all invited, but best of all, the fun will be done whenever you guys want it to be!" Gengiga continued proudly, watching the phantoms roar their approval. The sea of spirits dispersed into every direction at once, cheering as they went. It wasn't until the last speck of purple melded into the horizon that Gengiga allowed himself to sigh and let his shoulders sag.

"Well that's done," Gengiga whispered to no one in particular, drawing a line through the first task on his mental checklist given to him by Uxie.

_**Mission 1: Organize ghost types to join experiment. **_

His body slowly sank into the ground, melding into the shadows of the night. The faint pool of darkness that was Gengiga's own shadow expanded and darkened as he sank into it, his body eventually disappearing completely beneath the surface. In his place rested a large black circle that spanned fifty meters in diameter along the forest floor.

Without warning the black spot lunged across the landscape with a speed that belied its size. Travelling this way worked only as long as he had enough shadow to move through, making journeys by day slow and tedious. But at night, when umbral puddles blanketed the earth, he could traverse miles in mere seconds as he jumped from shadow to shadow. Gengiga sped across Sinnoh, his width no thicker than the shadows around him.

* * *

><p>"So, why'd you join the bird in his big crusade?" Lugia asked in an attempt at making small talk. He had grown tired of watching the sea rush below them as they embarked on their flight of several hours. Rayquaza gave the diving Legendary a quizzical sidelong glance before shifting his gaze back to the stretch of sea ahead of them.<p>

"I have several reasons why I joined Ho-oh. Like your brother, I am a guardian and the upper skies are my domain." The Sentinel of the Jet Stream kept his gaze fixed to the distant horizon, missing the grimace the crawled across Lugia's face at the mention of the word "brother". Rather than correct him on their current relationship, Lugia let the comment slide and waited patiently for the dragon to continue.

"Over the years the humans and their technological advancements have started damaging the ozone layer," Rayquaza continued as they sped over the whitecaps of the churning waves. "It is an invisible and intangible opponent I cannot defeat with my strength, cunning or speed. With all their intelligence, they must know what they're doing to the atmosphere, but it would seem they care not for the consequences their actions will bring to their future generations. They seem to only care for their immediate enjoyment. They are too shortsighted to see that they are hurting the earth and themselves in the process. However, there is another reason for my allegiance."

The sky-high Legendary sighed, peering deep into the rushing waters below as he dug within his mind for memories he had deeply buried long ago. Rather than pry the answer from Rayquaza's mind with a psychic probe, Lugia waited patiently for him to divulge his reason.

Silence, save for the rushing of air and the sound of waves, reigned. Eventually the Sentinel of the Jet Stream spoke. "A group of humans captured me and tortured me." His voice was a whisper, as if he were confessing to some horrible crime. Voicing it aloud meant acknowledging his weakness, diminishing the strength of his title and role as the ozone's protector. Being made to submit by a human was demeaning, especially to something designated as a Legendary. But to be repeatedly forced into that state brought crippling shame.

"I'm not sure what they wanted from me and why. But I know that if it weren't for Ho-oh's timely intervention, I might still be there," Rayquaza continued.

"…I know what that's like."

Rayquaza's head lifted. A look of surprise was worn plainly on his face.

"I…was captured by a group of humans too. It was a while back, and I'm not sure if it was the same group but if they were anything like the ones that caught me, they might've wanted to turn you into a weapon. They…it was…" Lugia gave a frustrated sigh, unsure of how to put together his next few words.

Rather than speak further, Lugia's eyes glowed and transmitted the memories of his experience at the hands of the Cipher Organization. Rayquaza shuddered as the whitecaps of the waves and rushing air gave way to the sterile, harsh laboratory of Cipher. He felt, heard and saw everything that Lugia went through. The Guardian of the Jet Stream struggled to maintain his speed as the ocean vista gave way to shadowy nightmarish scenes of unspeakable torture. To describe the experience as jarring and disorienting was a gross understatement; the memories of Rayquaza and those of Lugia blended together into a grisly tableau.

But as the Guardian of the Jet Stream sifted through the memories, he quickly found that separating them didn't matter. Knowing who experienced which anguish lost meaning as he realized they had both suffered similar tortures.

"I know the psychics' abilities bother you, but…I just thought you should know. If they're too painful I could try rem—"

"—No. Thank you…for…sharing that with me. That was…personal and not something many would understand. We are more alike than I thought," Rayquaza replied, lips curling into a rare smile that the silver Legendary mirrored.

* * *

><p>The first rays of dawn had been Gengiga's signal to leap out of his shadowy pathway, placing him at the outer fringes of a forest and near a scouting group of Beedrill.<p>

"Poor bastards." Gengiga sighed, watching them close the distance and attempt to poison him with their stingers. They came at him all at once, then glowed red like hot embers the instant they made contact before disappearing within his body. Within him they would meet a toxic stew composed of Grimer and Muk. Within seconds, their bodies were liquefied and added to the vile concoction.

"Guess the undampening made them dumber. I'm several fuckin' stories taller than'em and they still rush me," Gengiga muttered, looking around for any other competitors. Finding none, he began sinking back into his shadow once more, the trees of the surrounding forest providing enough shade for him to move freely during daylight.

Finding the main hive was relatively easy. The droning buzz of Beedrill was impossible to hide. They reacted quickly to his presence, discarding whatever previous duties they'd assumed before his arrival to turn and attack him. Gengiga groaned as the charging Beedrill burned red before they were engulfed into the void within his body. To him, this wasn't a battle — it was assisted suicide.

He turned his sights to the wax mountain that was their hive, marveling in its intricacy and scope. The surrounding soldiers took this moment to launch every long range attack they had in their arsenal at him, having learned to switch strategies after the loss of a sizable fraction of their hive from a full-on physical assault.

Gengiga carried on his watch of the hive, paying no heed to the hailstorm of toxin laced needles that the soldiers launched at him. He gradually turned to them, having had his fill of the hive, and found himself slightly impressed that the buzzing horde had switched tactics on him. His pale crimson eyes turned a deep ominous red — the color of dried blood. The sky above — as if by an unspoken command — quickly reacted to Gengiga's action.

Above, a splotch of red began to grow as if the sky itself were bleeding. In a few short minutes, the sun was blotted out by the supernatural red darkness. Silence reigned within the dome as the sounds of life within the forest were extinguished.

Lidless, disembodied eyes hung in the preternatural sky like stars in the night sky. Pulsating and swiveling as their bloodshot gaze swept over the landscape. Nothing was safe from their eldritch gaze.

Another buzzing filled the air as rigid tendrils of light slithered across Gengiga's purple fur.

_**Mission 2: Eliminate all poison types within each region**_.

A single white dome reflected off the glossy crimson surface of every Beedrill's eye as they watched the target of their hostility disappear within it. The swarm could do nothing as the incandescent sphere expanded towards them.

Like drawing poison from a wound, Gengiga would eliminate the poison types from the earth.

* * *

><p>"Do you see it? There, ahead of us."<p>

"_That's_ our base of operations?" Lugia replied, squinting at the tiny island in the distance.

"That would appear to be the case for the time being, yes," Rayquaza replied. He had no pride in the island — it was out of his domain — but the silver Legendary's criticism was . "Is there a problem?"

"Don't you think…isn't it…a little small?"

"Large operations have small beginnings," the sky sentinel countered, giving Lugia a withering stare.

"Still, you'd think we could do better than a—whoa!" The diving Legendary abruptly stopped as if slamming into some invisible wall.

"What? What is it?" Rayquaza whirled his body around in search of an attacker.

"You mean you don't feel the—never mind! Of course you wouldn't," Lugia muttered, his awe-struck expression quickly morphing into concern.

"Something affecting your psychic sense I presume?"

"Yeah. Except in this case I wouldn't mind lacking it right now."

"How so?" Rayquaza asked.

"They can sense us," Lugia muttered, his brow furrowed as he stared warily in the direction of their final destination.

"Who?"

"Honestly, I don't know. They're definitely psychic, I can tell you that. They've been privy to our presence for a while now, from even before we could even see the island. I'm just now sensing it because they've entered my range and there's tens if not hundreds of them locking onto us."

"Are _they_ hostile?" the serpentine dragon inquired, his tone lightly laced with concern.

"No. In fact it appears that they're gonna try tele—" Lugia began before blinking out of existence, Rayquaza immediately following suit.

"—Porting…us…" the silver sentinel finished, eyes rapidly widening from the sudden changes in his surroundings. Dozens of Alakazam lined the walls around them, floating gently off the ground in a sort of meditative state. At the end of the room floated Uxie who slowly hovered towards them and from what Lugia could sense, was seemingly speaking with each of the Alakazam in the room simultaneously.

Lugia could hear fragments of their psychic messages, astounded by the sprite's ability to carry on so many conversations at once.

"—Berry Forest Muk infestation eliminated by unexpected outside fo—" "—Parasect have unanimously migra—" "— Large caravan of humans detected in Ho—" "—Factories are procee—" "—Clefable and evolutionary population have mysteriously—" "Heretical group heading towards human settlement known as Darkbri—" "—Estimated death tolls have risen for Farfetch'd, Wobbuff—" "—Hunter Sphere production is high and can begin collec—" "—Strike teams have deployed to locate Jira—" "—Massive energy detonation detected in human settlement known as Sunysho—" "—Gulpin insurg—" "—Intense temperature spikes eroding atmosph—" "—Genetic samples of mole evolutionary line have proven dif—"

Lugia shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from his mind, most of the fragments sounding like complete and utter gibberish, while others were more concerning regardless of the context. The act was like trying to read the mind of every Beedrill in a frantic hive.

"Greetings Rayquaza. Lugia. Although redundant, custom dictates apology for involuntary teleportation." Uxie paused before continuing; apparently expecting the brief silence would be considered his formal apology. Although subtle, Lugia could sense the slight irritation not in his voice, but rather in his aura. If Lugia had to guess it would have to be from the transition from the efficient and effective psychic communication for the slow and tedious vocalization of his thoughts.

"Can understand discomfort that comes with travel by teleportation. Necessary when considering time is of essence. See that you have retrieved Lugia's brother, excellent."

"Lugia, this is Uxie. He is Ho-oh's…advisor of sorts. He has been vital in coordinating our assault against the humans. Our most basic ability, to learn, can also be attested to him," Rayquaza said.

"Already know of Lugia's sibling, can skip pleasantries. Exchange of data will be necessary," Uxie replied.

"Charmed," Lugia replied in a deadpan voice.

"This task is then complete. I shall see to the completion of my task and oversee Ho-oh's progress with those who would damage my atmosphere," Rayquaza said, slithering through the air towards the double doors leading into the arena. Lugia threw him a pleading stare, only to find it wasted on the emerald Legendary's back. Uxie's aura fluttered, a sign Lugia could only interpret as his impatience.

Lugia was not the only one who sensed the sprite's irritation, half of the Alakazam in the room had psychically locked onto him. The diving Legendary lowered his gaze to the All-Knowing, bobbing gently off the ground. One of the Alakazam opened his eyes, aiming his glowing blue gaze at the silver Legendary. Without any word of warning, Uxie tore through his mental defenses as if they were no tougher than seaweed.

The silver Legendary felt him sift through his memories, threshing through his mind and extracting what he considered important while casting aside everything else that didn't match his interests. He felt naked and vulnerable, his entire life laid out before a cold and calculating entity who seemed unaware — or uncaring — of his discomfort.

"_Is this what the others went through_?" Lugia asked himself as Uxie began to peer into every memory he had ever repressed. Images of thoughts he had fought long to bury flashed across his mind like bolts of lightning. His thoughts were being brought up and scrutinized as if they were not one's most sacred belongings but merely curiosities. A line had been crossed and regardless of who this Legendary was and what his entourage of psychics threatened to do, he would not subject himself to his treatment any longer.

"ENOUGH!" Lugia roared, extending his wings and creating a miniature maelstrom within the chamber. A dozen overlapping spherical barriers formed around Uxie, protecting him from any possible danger the gale could've brought to him. With a single mental command from the sprite the shimmering barriers dissipated. As if they shared a single mind, the spoons of every Alakazam in the room lowered in perfect unison.

Lugia's shallow breaths were painfully audible in the chamber, perspiration shining on his silver skin.

"Interesting," Uxie muttered, dragging the word out longer than Lugia was comfortable with. Despite lacking facial expressions of any kind and his closed eyes, the way Uxie "looked" at him sent shivers through his soul. "Sufficient data acquired," the sprite said, swiftly turning from him and floating back to his original spot. Before Lugia could even voice his complaint, he was teleported from the room in a flash of white light.

"My lord, I've just received word of the successful conversion of most of our brothers and sisters throughout the regions. Regrettably…several heretical groups have voiced their refusal to join and there are those who are unaccounted for being as they are enslaved by the humans and thereby harder to locate," one of the Alakazam said.

"Well within calculations. Will ignore dissenting faction for the time being. Tamed pokémon will be difficult to locate. Would be inefficient to divert resources to that facet. Can begin the next phase," Uxie replied.

"What would you have us do?" the Alakazam cried in unison.

"Have uploaded habitats and frequented areas into minds. Repeat logic conversion process as done with your species. High success probability considering logic based train of thought. Recruit…the Metagross.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions and I'll endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability. Also, I'd love if you guys sent some love to the other poke wars writers in the way of reviews if you haven't already. <strong>


	5. So Long and Thanks For All the Stones

**This chapter was really fun to write for a multitude of reasons. For one, it was a chance to get a look at some old faces that we haven't seen for a while. One in particular may be unfamiliar, but those of you who remember enough of the first season might be able to appreciate this. **

**I'd also like to really thank Zarrelion once again for his wonderful additions to this chapter and speedy betaing.**

* * *

><p><strong>August 20<strong>

* * *

><p>The sky — his only window to the great beyond — had always been framed by the horizon. The bonds of the Earth had limited his view of the masterpiece that was the night sky and its stars. Now freed from the shackles of gravity, he could see the stars that coruscated like diamond dust scattered across an obsidian canvas.<p>

"_I should be happy_," he thought. A pale shadow of grim-faced man was mirrored in each window he stared through. His face was almost foreign to him; years without seeing one's own reflection tended to do that to people. His hair had grown down to his shoulders, brushing against the tattered and stained lab coat he had worn for years. Forgoing a shave and a trim for months at a time had been a small price to pay for his hermitage.

"It's…ironic," he mumbled beneath his breath as his trembling hand moved towards the Earth as if to embrace his homeworld. The cold sting of the glass window on his fingers soon shattered the illusion that he could reach out and touch it. He continued staring through the porthole as he gazed upon the celestial canvas and its pinpoints of light.

The man sighed as he closed his hand and sighed. The stars made silent promises of adventures beyond his wildest dreams — should follow their light. He recognized most of them, having gazed up at them for countless nights and carved the constellations into memory. Others were not so familiar, at least not to him.

The stars had been his hopes, fuel for his dreams and fantasies of other worlds with strange and amazing lands. For the longest time he was content with keeping them as such. Surely man would never make it to the stars within his lifetime and there was always the fear that reality would fail to live up to his fantasy world. The chance to reach the stars would never be available to him; instead he would embrace his warm delusions and reject the cold reality for as long as he could.

Yet here he was, experiencing it for himself.

For the most part he felt he should consider himself extremely lucky. He was now one of, if not the only humans to ever leave the bonds of the Earth.

"I just wish it were on better terms," Seymour whispered, fingers pressing against the glass. It wasn't long before he felt something tug at his pant leg, knowing full well it was one of the Clefairy coming to check up on him. Outside the spacecraft was the silent hard vacuum of space; every noise he made within the ship would be picked up by their acute sense of hearing.

A flash of light from outside the ship kept his gaze fixed at the window. He eventually felt the fairy pokémon's grip weaken until it was gone. He watched as a single serpentine pokémon decimated each and every man-made satellite that orbited the Earth. It alternated between physical and ranged attacks, almost as if it were playing a game. Seymour followed the debris as the Earth began to exert its force on it. He stared at the incandscent corona that surrounded each piece as it burnt up upon reentry.

"What is that?" he asked.

The Clefairy procured an electronic tablet from…somewhere, tapping the keypad angrily before shoving it in his face.

He read the words on the screen: **It's known as Rayquaza**. **It defends your planet's atmosphere with extreme prejudice.**

"_Defends us from what_?" Seymour thought. The second the thought entered his head, he banished it from his mind. None of that mattered now. Not anymore.

"Can it see us?"

The Clefairy shook her head, quickly typing something on the tablet before handing it back to him.

**No. We are cloaked and at a safe distance. It will not pursue or harm us. **

Seymour sighed, handing the tablet back to her and resumed his staring match with the blue sphere that was once his home. He watched in grim silence as a small white dome of light rose from one of the landmasses before dimming out to reveal a crater and an angrily glowing patch of glass. It was one of many glass plains that marred the vast expanse of that particular continent. To be able to see it from where they were was a testament to the size of the blast.

"What's that?" He saw the Clefairy shrug as opposed to typing out her lack of knowledge on the subject.

"Well, where is it happening at?" Seymour hoped it was any region but Kanto. He got a few quick taps in response before he found the tablet being placed back in his hands.

**Our agents that were in the area say your kind call it the Sinnoh region.**

The scientist absently nodded, as if he had already forgotten his question and ignored its answer. From his lab coat's pocket he pulled a handkerchief and gingerly removed his glasses to wipe them. He was quiet for a moment, shakily slipping his glasses back on before breaking the pregnant gap of silence.

"Why…why is this all happening?" Seymour's voice trembled, pressing his palm against the glass as if to eclipse the world from his view. "Why did the Zubat start killing everyone? Why do we have to leave my planet? Why!?"

At this suddenly outburst of emotion, the Clefairy was hesitant in her response, slowly typing out her answer — or at least one she thought would placate the scientist.

**We don't know what's happening. We don't know why any of this is happening. We only know that whatever has happened has affected everything on the planet and possibly the rest of the galaxy**.

The space traveler studied Seymour's expression and watched it grow pale within seconds.

"The...entire gal…" the scientist's voice began, hints of hysteria leaking out until she held out one of her fingers to stop him.

Seymour didn't so much hand her back the tablet as he did throw it at her, a fact of which he immediately regretted, finding little relief when the Clefairy paid it no mind. Minutes began to tick by as she typed, allowing his dread to fully settle in as he silently considered the correlation between bad news and long messages.

The scientist watched her rosy and surprisingly nimble digits fly across the keypad before suddenly stopping. He traced her gaze as she scanned up and down her own wall of words at an agonizingly slow pace. A soft "_clefairy"_ escaped her lips in the form of a sigh once she was satisfied with what she'd written. With a simple flick to the corner of the tablet she made it spin on her palm until it faced him. She held it out expectantly, understanding his hesitation in taking it from her. He eventually grabbed it and brought it to his eyes, adjusting his glasses more out of nervous habit than actual need.

**We're not sure if it's the **_**entire**_** galaxy. We have yet to receive a response from our homeworld, so we're going back to our own star system to assess the situation. You have been a friend to us for many years. Few take such a scholarly interest in us and we've been meaning for you to come with us for some time now. Current events have pushed things ahead of schedule. According to our regional agents around the globe, the situation for your planet does not look promising. We do not wish to leave and risk losing you to whatever fate may await your world**. **We regret not being able to take any people or things significant to you with us, but time was of the essence and it's far too risky to go planetside now. We've taken the liberty of having others bring suitable breeding partners for you in the event that your race becomes extinct. Our databanks hold a very limited archive of the history of your species, and regrettably much of it may be lost if our predictions are correct**. **We know this must be hard for you and we will do everything in our power to help**.

Seymour finished his second run-through of the passage before letting his arm flop lifelessly to his side. The tablet clattered onto the cold stainless steel floor as he stumbled towards the wall and practically smashed himself against it. The implications of what the Clefairy had told him slammed into him like an asteroid. His mind began to run rampant with his disorganized thoughts, fueled by his nervousness.

"_This is too much. I can't…I…why is this happening to me? How can they expect me to restart humanity? What if the girl they picked hates me? I've never even dated anyone! I don't know how to take care of kids or be a father! What if I fail? What if humanity dies out because of me?_"

Seymour's breath grew ragged as he stepped away from the wall; the spaceship's interior began to spin as nausea saturated his senses. He was hyperventilating when the Clefairy slapped him with enough force to knock off his glasses and sending him spinning. Seymour slammed against the bulkhead and lay there, gradually sliding to the floor as his legs gave out. Inches from his hand were his glasses, yet he made no move to retrieve them or get up. In fact, he saw no reason to ever get back up again, wanting nothing more than to have the steel floor swallow him up and cocoon him in blessed ignorance.

The keening of an alarm filled the air, briefly drowning the room in gold and crimson light for a few seconds before returning to normal. The Clefairy released a breath through her nose as she made her way to the scientist's side, plucking his glasses off the ground and offering them to him atop the datapad like a waiter serving a drink. Seymour gave it a hollow glance, eventually lifting his quivering arm to take his glasses and found that another message lay beneath.

**That was the signal. The others are in position to leave. This may be the last chance you get to see your planet. **

Seymour was silent for a long time; the sound of his heart rate accelerating reached the fairy's ears.

"Can I ever go back?" he eventually asked, staring at his worn rubber boots as she typed up her response.

**We can't promise you something we may not be able to carry out. If you could see the world, you may not want to come back. In the event that it does become uninhabitable, we would be willing to help you find another suitable star system and hopefully a planet so that you and the others can repopulate. We can even assist you in rebuilding a civilization if you wish**.

The Clefairy's shoulders slumped as she read her own words along with him, realizing how hollow her words of comfort sounded. Seymour noticed her ears twitch while the rest of her body remained rigid, no doubt something had hailed her or warranted her attention but his current state made her hesitant to leave him.

"Go," he whispered but saw no movement on her end.

The fairy held her ground, but her ears continued to twitch and her gaze began to shift between him and the ship's main control panel. She knew that asking him if he was or would be okay was foolish. Few humans with sound minds would be emotionally stable in this scenario. The other ships wouldn't leave without her and every second she delayed would be another second something could go wrong and doom her crew and herself.

There were no words in her tongue — or in his — that she knew of that could express the regret she had for his situation. She knew the words she had typed were logical and clear but cold and unfeeling.

Seymour pulled his legs towards his body and turned onto his knees, pulling himself up to the window with what she imagined were the last vestiges of his strength. He stared out and gazed upon his world with every ounce of focus he possessed. She imagined he was committing the sight of it to memory, as her ancestors had when they had fled the homeworld and found earth by chance.

Having nothing else to say to him she made her way to the control panel, stopping halfway to glance back and find he was looking back at her as well. Seymour picked apart her loaded stare and looked away, finding concern and immense pity in her eyes.

"_Pity. That's probably pity, right? That's what I want isn't it? That's what I deserve isn't it? My planet…and the rest of my race are probably going to die and I'm never going to see anyone from Pewter City ever again_." Seymour's dark thoughts seemed to pile atop each other and eventually over him, crushing him under their weight like so many boulders. His vision blurred as a sob threatened to escape past his lips only managing to leave as a high pitched whine and whimper.

Crying and screaming like he wanted to would only hurt the Clefairy's sensitive hearing so he held it in. The core of his entirety ached, the pressure inside him continued to build and build until it threatened to tear him apart from the inside. His body trembled uncontrollably, legs threatening to buckle beneath him once more.

The ship began to whine and hum, reminding Seymour of the few seconds he had left to see the Earth for what could be the last time. He dried his eyes with the russet-colored sleeves of his lab coat, desperately trying to see past his shimmering vision. Seymour fought against his own mind, desperately attempting to stopper the flow of memories that threatened to push him over the edge of his control.

Despite his best efforts one managed to slip through his defenses, one from years ago that became a defining moment in his life. They had been the reason he had found the Clefairy at all, and though the years went by he would never forget those that helped him reach this point.

_When you do visit outer space I hope you'll remember to send us a postcard._ Brock's words pinballed around his head, pulverizing his resolve. Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock were probably still on the planet; there they would die while he got away and lived another day — and fulfilled one of man's oldest dreams: traveling amongst the stars.

In an instant, the ship's engines activated, hurling the vessel into another dimension where it would travel at superluminal velocities. Just before the windows dimmed to protect his eyes from the intense radiation that would bathe the ship, Seymour saw the blue and green sphere with its delicate filigree of clouds stretch and deform to become a streak of light —just like the billions of stars that dotted the universe.

As the clear glass windows dimmed to a solid black like the iciness of deep space, Seymour's emotions finally poured out of him. He shuddered as a keening wail erupted from him. An eternity ticked by with no noise other than the soft hum of the slipspace drive and Seymour's body-wracking sobs. He wished he could see the Earth for the final few seconds before his one-way trip to the stars.

"It's ironic," Seymour said with a shuddering breath as he curled into a ball against the cold metal floor. "I always wanted to gaze upon the stars and now that I'm amongst them, I just want to see the Earth."

* * *

><p>Raised voices permeated the air within the stony chamber deep within the Tree of Life. Gathered within were Lugia and numerous other Legendaries from every region. All of them were exchanging heated words about their current situation and how they should proceed. In the corner of the room lay the inert form of Mesprit, oblivious to the arguments around her. No one bothered to rouse her for she was not asleep, but was gathering information about the state of their devastated world.<p>

"We have a problem!" Mesprit exclaimed as soon as her astral body returned to her inert form and she regained control of her body. The arguments died down slightly but still continued in the background.

"Ya don't say!?" Groudon snapped, earning him the glares of everyone in the room.

"What is it Mesprit? What did you find?" Lugia asked. He internally sighed in relief, thankful for the break from the arguments of what to do with their last orb of creation.

"Ho-oh's recruited another powerful pokémon to join his side," the sprite began. Silence descended upon the room like a veil.

"Is it another Legendary?" Moltres inquired. "I thought Celebi had already stated which Legendaries had joined Ho-oh's side?"

"No, it's not a Legendary. It's a pokémon, but not like any ordinary pokémon. It looks like a Gengar, but it's massive. Probably bigger than Groudon." Mesprit gestured towards the crimson behemoth in the corner of the room whose full attention she now had.

"Bigger than me? Damn. Not bad. Okay, okay. Easy. We send 'Nightmare Fuel' over there to kick its ass and call it a day," Groudon said with a shrug, ignoring the one-eyed glare Darkrai gave him.

"Easier said than done. This thing isn't a regular Gengar. Somehow anything it touches seems to get absorbed into its body. If that wasn't bad enough, anything that makes eye contact with it gets absorbed too…I think,"

Zapdos shot an icy glare at Mesprit. "You _think_!?"

"I'm not sure. I've watched other pokémon make eye contact with it and get absorbed, but…but I made eye contact with it in my astral form and I'm still here."

The Master of Lightning frowned and clicked his beak together. "This type of opponent is troubling. I'm curious as to how Ho-oh convinced it to join him."

"You can think about that later. It's heading towards the Kanto region as we speak. It'll reach the coast by morning," Mesprit said.

The tension in the room skyrocketed as the air seemed to practically solidify.

"Sonnvabitch. They're sending him to take us out," Groudon muttered, giving voice to everyone's thoughts.

"How do we fight something we can't touch or even look at!?" Articuno demanded, leaving the question up to anyone willing to answer it.

"My psychic abilities allow me to view my surroundings without the use of my eyes. I may be able fight him if I keep my distance," Lugia replied.

"Father, let me fight alongside you!" Silver cut in, earning a swift stare of disapproval from both his parents.

"You most certainly will not!" Silver's mother interjected.

"But moooom!" Silver's outburst reminded everyone present that, Legendary he may be; he was still just a child.

"Your mother is right. Right now, you may be more of a liability to me than an aid. I can't afford to divide my attention between keeping you safe and fighting this Gengar," Lugia replied, sending Silver a loaded stare that he knew well. There was more to his words than he let on. One didn't need a psychic to decipher the subtext.

Lugia had confessed days ago that in the event of his demise, his life mate would assume his position in the council. Once Silver was of age, he would take up the mantle from his parents and become the next Guardian of the sea. His training had already started, though his attempts at learning his father's signature move — Aeroblast — were pitiful to say the least.

"Where are Latias and Mew?" the sprite asked, finally noticing the absence of two of their members.

"Latias left a while back to see to the island of Altomare that she guarded. Her time away with us wasn't meant to be long term, so she has gone back to appoint a steward," Lugia replied.

"And Mew?"

"In times such as these, it would be foolish to send Latias out alone. Even with her cloaking ability, I wouldn't put it past Ho-oh to try to pick us off one at a time. Only a small handful of us here can keep up with her, so her trips must be as brief as possible. As important as this is, the boredom would end up making Mew stir-crazy. He has never been to Altomare and there is little any of us can do when he sets his mind to something. However, Mew is powerful and would force Ho-oh to think twice before attempting to attack him."

"Couldn't Mew just teleport the both of them there and back?"

"I've considered that as well, but the undampening has affected the art of teleportation for those of us who can. One must have a precise and accurate idea of where they want to teleport to"

"Otherwise ya might end up paintin' the area you're trying ta get to with…well, yerself," Groudon added, garnering another round of displeased looks.

A brief scowl crossed Lugia's face as he imagined the gory results of such a failed teleportation. "…yes. Even with a good memory of the area — as Latias would have of Altomare seeing as she's lived there for most of her life — memories are seldom perfect. If she were to teleport from memory alone, she runs the risk of reforming and fusing into a floor, a wall or whatever just happened to be in that particular area at the time. The longer the distance, the greater the risk of such a disaster."

"This still doesn't solve the fact that an attack on us is imminent!" Zapdos roared.

"If you are going to fight him you mustn't go alone," Cresselia said.

"I would go myself, but I have little to no psychic ability. Without my sight I'm effectively blind and would be of little use in a battle against that kind of opponent, regardless of my strength and speed," Darkrai said as he lowered his head.

"Master, we too would follow you, though we are not sure how useful we would be without our sight," Moltres said, speaking also for her brother and sister.

"Worry not. I should be fine as long as long as I keep my distance," the Guardian of the Sea replied. Though his words rang with confidence, his mate immediately knew that the confidence that oozed through was a sham.

"If distance is your only ally against this enemy, I fear failure may not be far behind. Speed may not be the most important thing in this kind of battle," bellowed a voice from the corner of the chamber. A corner that had gone practically silent for the days that had been spent arguing as to what to do with the orb.


	6. Eraforming

**A few things before I start the chapter.  
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**First, Dacutesnowbunnies has recently added another page for her work on the Poke Wars: The Exigence. **

**Second, Noaj-T, formerly known as Kuroi-Ukyo, has updated his story, the Convergence once more for this month. It's going in an amusing direction that I myself haven't been able to address or go into as much (as much as I'd like to) but think is nonetheless an interesting point in the pokemon universe. You can expect the story to make do on its namesake and combine with one of my stories in the future, so keep an eye out for it and send some live its way if you can. (Mind you, all the stories that are working with me are relevant or WILL become relevant to the main plot. **

**Third, I'm sure a ton of you already know about it already but in the case for those of you who don't, I apparently have a TVtropes page in their fanfic recommendation section. I personally don't mess with it as I feel that would be blatant self promotion, but I do check it periodically to find what's been added. Give it a look if you have a spare moment.**

**Last but by no means least, a huge thanks to my beta Zarrelion for his work on this chapter. I really wasn't sure about this one but once I got it back I felt a lot more comfortable about it.  
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><p><strong>August 21<strong>

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><p>Lightning hammered the barren wasteland of Orre's northeastern border as black thunderheads churned above. Hail, rain and savage wind scoured the checkered glasslands as thunder bellowed from within the roiling clouds. Tornados snaked down from the sky. A single line crawled across the terrain, parting the landscape in two.<p>

The fissure widened until its gaping maw was several meters across, its deepest depths an all-consuming void of darkness. One side of the newly formed valley abruptly shunted upwards to form a plateau in which the originator of all this chaos perched himself upon.

Uxie nodded contently, making mental notes on Mewtwo's progress. Seeing as there wasn't another soul around for several miles, he would've opened his eyes — had they not atrophied from centuries of disuse. This "limitation" did not bother him as he imagined it would bother most. Viewing the world through such ineffectual and limited sensory organs could not compare with the near omniscience that came with his psychic abilities. As if to prove his point, the sprite became immediately aware of the presence of a new entity blipping into existence behind him. Uxie did not turn to face the giant Alakazam — who now referred to himself as Alakalossal.

"My lord…I…I know you did not wish to be interrupted but I felt it prudent to inform you," the psi giant was on his knees, laying his spoons out before him as he bowed.

Uxie grew tired of the meaningless display of reverence the psi line felt necessary to do _every_ time they saw him. Every second kowtowing was another second they were not advancing. In the back of his mind he attempted to calculate how much time had been wasted, estimating and adding up the seconds it took for each psychic to stop what they were doing, do their little bow and return to their task. Factoring in the number under his command brought the total to around three days.

"Proceed," he replied evenly, doing his best not to have the psychic colossus misinterpret his barely veiled disdain.

"We estimate that sixty-four percent of the Metagross population in Hoenn and Sinnoh has joined us. Twenty-six percent have rejected our offer and chosen neutrality. The remaining ten percent reside with human trainers. Although we have not made attempts to convert those with human retainers, one of our missionary groups in Sinnoh found a sizable amount willing to join," Alakalossal replied.

"Excellent. Have them assist in fortification of installations one through five. Update them as necessary on equipment and projects."

"Also, my lord, Suicune arrived the other day to Cloning Installation One to inform Ho-oh of his findings during his mission. Our workers there have read his mind, and his experiences confirm our predictions. The global temperature is beginning to rise exponentially due to the Magcargo and Slugma and we've been able to trace it to key areas in the Hoenn region. There are isolated incidents within the other regions, though they are not as concentrated as it is in Hoenn. If not handled immediately, there will be complications in the foreseeable future."

"Magcargo. Dampened body temperature — 1,300 to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Undampened body temperature — estimated 18,000 degrees. 1.8 times hotter than the surface of this system's star," Uxie muttered as he dug through the archives within his head. "Magcargo must maintain constant movement, lest they cool, harden, and solidify. Yes, can see complications arising. But also possible chance for experimentation. Send group of Metagross to handle those in Hoenn. General make-up, body structure, and psychic abilities should suffice to handle temperatures of that magnitude. Alakazam strike teams should be sufficient to handle isolated incidents in Sinnoh. Will be accompanying Metagross to Hoenn with Mewtwo to continue field tests. How is progress on Hunter Sphere Factory Two?"

The psi giant hesitated slightly. "It…may take some time my lord. There may be some…complications."

"Elaborate." Uxie's tone was even and regulated.

"Hunter Sphere Factory two is situated relatively near a human settlement known as Darkbridge. Although they pose no threat to us now, the undampening has not been as harsh on them as it has other human settlements and they may notice our presence and retaliate once they've regained their strength. The heretic caravan is also heading towards them. Although we can hypothesize as to why, we know not their actual motives for doing so. Additional forces would be required to eliminate the settlement, but the heretics may perceive it as an attack on their caravan and forgo their current neutrality with us."

"Matters not. In event of retaliation, enough hunter spheres will have been produced that destruction of factory will present relatively minimal loss. Recommend automated security system in event of early assault that could hinder progress. Could also dissuade retaliation," the All-Knowing ordered in the guise of a suggestion.

"It shall be done my lord." Alakalossal nodded in affirmation, doing his best to ignore the flashes of light and tremors in the distance.

"Progress of genesis facility in Sinnoh?"

"It is nearly complete to your specifications. Genetic samples of Diglett and Clefairy have been difficult to procure…and…my lord, if I might ask, for what purpose would installing so many mirrors serve?"

Uxie was silent for a long — and uncomfortable — four seconds, before eventually answering. "Possible failsafe."

Alakalossal said no more, knowing that if Uxie did not wish to divulge any more than he already had, it was not his place to ask for further.

"While on subject, what is the Gengar's status?"

"Gengiga has done as you've asked and rallied the ghosts of the Sinnoh region. He has also eliminated through absorption the Zubat, Spinarak, Grimer and Weedle, populations, as well as their evolutions. Those he has missed have been eliminated by the strike teams tailing him. We estimate that he shall arrive at the coast of Kanto shortly."

"Well done," Uxie said, sending a series of mental commands to Mewtwo in the distance. The sea of murky skies above them parted, allowing a wall of sunlight to descend upon the land. With a single wave of his right arm the lands to the east of Mewtwo were washed in a frigid tempest that flash-froze the land in a thick layer of ice. Cradled in the Genetic pokémon's left palm was a sphere of white light that pulsated briefly before erupting into an incandescent beam that carved out the land to the west for miles.

"Remarkable." Alakalossal eyes widened in awe as he backed away slowly.

"Impressive indeed," Uxie echoed. "Have been uploading several thousand combat scenarios into mind for possible future encounters with other Legendaries. Currently attempting to find extent of abilities. Have yet to reach limit. Possibilities endless."

The psi giant was tempted to inquire further when waves of blue psionic energy rolled off the cloned pokémon's form. Cerulean rings spun within the psychic sapphire flames before an emerald halo descended over the figure. The cold flames burst out abruptly and dissipated, revealing a very different entity underneath.

"My…my lord…did he…has he just…evolved?" Alakalossal's voice came out in an awed whisper.

"No. Forme change. Compensate for physical limitations. Like transformations of Shaymin and Giratina."

Whether Alakalossal knew anything on the pokémon mentioned became irrelevant as Uxie poured the information into the psychic's mind.

"Cannot technically reach full potential while under control of another. Not fully autonomous, but has several hundred preprogrammed set of actions depending on scenario. Can now say, despite current restraints, that I have been able to…awaken…his true form. " A small smile graced the All-Knowing's lips.

"_A mega form_."

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><p>Several hours had gone by as Gengiga's shadow skimmed over the ocean's surface and finally saw Kanto's southeastern coast. The first rays of dawn were just beginning to peek from the distant horizon behind him.<p>

"_All right. Once I'm done with the poison types in Kanto and Johto I can finish off the ones in Hoenn,_" the ghost brooded, almost overlooking the flicker of light in the distance.

Almost.

Gengiga burst from his shadow upon the sea, barely dodging the bolt of lightning that slammed into the ocean's surface. Arcs of electricity danced across water for a few seconds as the steaming corpses of several ocean pokémon rose and bobbed above the water.

"_Well that was clo—" _Gengiga's thoughts were interrupted as a torrent of iron shrapnel ripped through his body and exited out the other side. Javelins of ice and stone quickly filled the newly made holes before he even hit the ground. The regi trio kept their aim trained on the ghost as he collided with the beachfront and lay motionless on its shore.

"_It can't be that easy_…" Regigigas thought, standing behind his creations and awaiting the ghost's next move.

Gengiga's glaring crimson eyes rose from the sand, finding a blue bolt already there for his trouble. The shadow pokémon rolled, narrowly dodging the Ice Beam that froze a narrow stretch of sand and sea behind him for several meters. The white titan raised his arm as the gargantuan ghost dissolved into black mist, leaving the spears of stone and ice that once skewered him floating in the air before dropping to the sand.

"_Don't know what these guys are, but the big one must be the boss. If I can take care of him, the others might be easy pickings,_" thought the shadow pokémon he fused fused into the floor and flashed forward.

Regigigas thrust his fist towards the ground, missing the speeding shadow that darted past and reformed behind him.

"Gotcha!" Gengiga cried, a mere few inches from closing the distance between his fingertips and the pale titan's flesh. It was then that he noticed three emerald spheres enclosing each of the smaller golems just before their master's fist connected with the ground. He had never been the intended target; the trio's maker had been aiming his strike at the earth from the beginning.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Gengiga as he watched the tip of the titan's knuckle touch terra firma. The effect was immediate; the earth beneath the giant's fist abruptly shunted in on itself as if that small section of knuckle weighed a thousand tons. In a matter of milliseconds the crater, now the width of a basketball court, appeared beneath them and with it came the shockwave.

Gengiga tumbled across the flattening terrain, gouging out entire portions of the landscape with every bound. Entire sections of forest shook themselves into seas of splinters, shredding everything in their path. Waves of earth rose from the crater and showered the desolated landscape that spanned for miles all around.

"'Mover of Continents' indeed," Mesprit murmured in her astral form, wondering if this level of destruction was absolutely necessary to stop their opponent. She shook the thought from her mind. The damage was an unfortunate — but necessary — part of stopping Gengiga. An impact crater was a small price to pay in comparison to what Gengiga could do.

Gengiga's battered body came to a full stop a few miles from the point of impact. The sea began to pour into the newly formed basin, by now large enough to comfortably fit a standard football stadium below sea level. Embedded in the walls of the crater were the Legendary Golems, the jade spheres of their Protect technique flickering and eventually dissipating entirely.

The earth trembled once more as Regigigas flew from out of the newly made basin, propelled by columns of orange light that erupted from his palms. Gengiga lifted his head, watching his wounds heal as he drained the lifeforce from one of the hundreds of Muk and Grimer housed within. The trio was quick to join their master at the edge of the crater, their "eyes" flashing crimson while their maker cradled a sphere, writhing with frenzied tendrils of lightning.

"_What's with these guys? I know they can see me somehow and I'm starin' right at'em, but they're not gettin' absorbed. Are they some kind of guardians of Kanto or somethin'? Uxie didn't mention anything like this. Why are they even attacking me in the first place? I haven't done anything to this region yet. Maybe I can make a run for it_," Gengiga thought.

As he finished the thought, three crimson reticles overlapped and emblazoned themselves upon his chest.

"Well that's not good," the ghost mumbled as he racked his brain for a technique to stop them. He wasn't sure what they were planning but the three crosshairs on his chest didn't bode well. Gengiga finally chose the fastest technique. He lifted his arm, erected one finger and wagged it back and forth.

"Ah ah ah," he chided mockingly, his smile growing wider when the Lock-On sigils faded from his body and the lightning faded from Regigigas' hands.

"That Taunt should limit what they can do to me for now." The phantom colossus dusted himself off as he lifted himself to his feet. The golems turned to their maker, a series of yellow lights blinking across their "faces."

"What're they doin' now?" Gengiga gave an irritable groan as he slowly backed away, finding it unwise to show his back to the white giant and his two lackeys just yet.

"_Wait…two?"_

A section of earth behind the ghost burst, a beige blur drilled through the air before slowing down to reveal the stone golem.

"Someone's got a deathwish." Gengiga smiled, turning his body and thrusting his hand towards the golem before stopping just a few short meters from it. The Stone Age effigy's arms weren't raised to form any kind of defense, almost as if it were willingly giving him an opening to strike. The dots on its facial stone flashed fervently; the keening of the effigy growing higher and higher in pitch as if to match the luminosity of the golem's quickly brightening body.

"Oh shi—" Gengiga's eyes widened as he realized what he was facing. He collapsed into his shadow form and sped across the field moments before the lithic golem detonated in a brilliant flash. The shaky ground collapsed into a rapidly widening crater behind the fleeing umbral disk, and although the fires were well behind it, the force of the explosion caught up with him in a matter of seconds. Gengiga was flung from his shadow form and rendered airborne, riding the shockwave for several meters before landing face-first and skidding several meters, leaving a long trench.

"This getting-tossed-like-a-ragdoll business is getting old real fast," the ghost growled, slamming his fist against the ground. "_But that last attack was way too close. If I'd absorbed him and he'd exploded, I'd be done for. These Muk are getting to be more trouble than they're worth. Sure, they'll last longer inside me than any other pokémon, but one spark and we're done for. At least I only have to worry about fighting the last three for now_."

Gengiga lifted his head, watching the smaller ice golem hop onto the larger one's hand. The shadow giant eased himself into the air, floating just above the ground as Regigigas reeled his arm back.

"Is he actually going to throw it at me?" the ghost chuckled, scanning the field for the steel golem. Oddly enough, it was beside the white titan rather than elsewhere with a vantage point from which to strike him the moment he dodged their next attack.

"_I can't tell if they know about my absorption ability or not. If they knew, they wouldn't be throwing one of their own friends at me. If they don't know, then they're doin' a good job of keeping their distance and using a lot of long range attacks_. _The big one looks more like the brawling type…so why isn't he—"_

Gengiga's contemplation was cut short when the trio's maker cast the Ice Age embodiment with an underhanded throw. The shadow giant's eyes glanced briefly at the metal avatar, rigid and still as a statue.

"_Luckily for me, they're slow_," Gengiga mused, calmly watching as the glacial torpedo close the distance between them.

"_I'll let it hit me. The Muk'll take care of the rest. Then I'll only have to deal with the last—"_ Gengiga immediately cut the thought short when he saw what was happening.

A few meters beneath the speeding ice golem was a solid path of ice that mirrored the trajectory of said golem.

"_The other extreme. If that thing's cold enough to freeze the ground from that distance, then the second I absorb it, it'll kill the Muk and Grimer inside me before they have time to break it down_!" the life engine thought, his sudden realization placing the ice golem's immediate proximity in a new and frightening light.

At the last second, Gengiga twisted and flung himself back, narrowly dodging the icicle spear that was Regice. As he flew back, the glowing and dotted yellow cross atop the golem's crystalline face seemed to glare at him, if only for a few seconds before unleashing a white tempest from its core.

Although brief, the Blizzard attack was enough to coat Gengiga's entire body — and the terrain behind him — in a thick layer of ice, Regice continued to fly until it disappeared into the distance, leaving only the ghostsicle in the midst of a barren tundra. Within a few seconds the ground began to rumble, crimson pools beneath the frost shifted to its source.

Regigigas sailed across the field, gouts of energy pouring from his palms like the exhaust from a giant rocket. The blast propelled him forward with alarming speed; a wide canyon left in the wake of his twin Hyper Beam attacks. Registeel hung from its master's head, the metallic fingers finding purchase on the thick tufts of moss growing off Regigigas's shoulders.

As they approached, Regigigas swung his arms forward, carving deep trenches into the earth around him until they were aimed at his feet. Plumes of powdered earth rose to the sky as the beams from the titan's palms flickered and eventually ceased. Gengiga watched the white giant emerge from the tower of debris, holding Registeel in his hand like a bludgeon.

"_What's he gonna do, beat me ta death with his lackey_?" Gengiga smiled at the presumably fruitless effort, causing a small crack in the ice that held him in place. The ghost's mirth was short-lived when the Regigigas aimed his iron minion's body at him like a gun, the latter's arms extended with bolts of lightning dancing between them.

"Zap Cannon won't miss from this distance," Regigigas muttered, watching the lightning mold itself into a sphere that floated between Registeel's metallic palms. A rare look of fear took residence on the life engine's face as the ball lightning was launched with enough recoil to slightly lift the pale titan's arm into the air.

The lightning orb instantly ate away at the icy shell upon contact, passing through the glacial cocoon as if it were never even there. Mesprit's eyes widened at the sight before the brilliant flash that illuminated the distant horizon blinded her. Etched upon her mind was the sight of the empty shell of ice and a black and sinister figure rising from Reigigigas' shadow.

"Behind you!" she screamed, forgetting for a moment that they could not hear her in her astral form.

"You're mine now," Gengiga whispered gleefully, a cruel smile on his face a he watched the white golem's body tense at the last second, knowing full well what was behind him and lacking the speed to do anything about it. The shadow pokémon's fingers would've met their target were it not for a lance of stone impaling itself through his palm and throwing his entire arm off course. Gengiga turned; his expression of sadistic jubilation was suddenly traded in for bewilderment at the sight of Regirock aiming one of its stony arms at him.

"_But…how? It blew up! I watched it blow up! Are there more of them somewh_—" Gengiga's thoughts were derailed when a river of metallic filaments shredded through his body, courtesy of the Industrial Age avatar. The ghost stumbled back, another Muk or Grimer dying to heal his wounds before his foot had connected with the ground.

"You know, I've got to give you credit," Gengiga began, straightening up as he spoke and glancing back and forth between the golems, each keeping their aim trained on the ghost, but holding their fire to hear him out. "It's been a while since anyone's killed me this many times. But…you're starting ta piss me off. Though it's not 'cause of the killing. Naw, I can handle that. Ya see, that fucking fairy force-fed me the know-how fer some moves. I've been outta the game for a while, and some of the stuff that my kind have come up with; I have to admit is pretty cool. It's weird though, suddenly knowing something even though _you_ know you didn't know it before. Things you shouldn't know, couldn't know. Makes me wonder what else he's done while he's been diggin' in my brain."

"Brother." Mesprit allowed the words to slip past her lips as a whisper, the hushed tone somewhere between disdain and concern.

"The fact that you made me use Substitute back there," Gengiga began, "and the fact that I had to rely on anything that the sprite loaded into my brain—" A tendril of lightning slithered from one hair to another. "—Pisses me off like you have no idea. I thought I was doin' you and your little group of super troopers a favor, but I guess this is what I get for trying to help."

A column of iron shrapnel surged towards the ghost, only to hang in the air just before him from the intense magnetic field that now radiated off Gengiga. Regirock unloaded bolt after bolt of golden lightning only to have them deflected or reabsorbed into the target's body to fuel his next attack.

"I've already used _one_ of the moves he implanted, so why not use them _all_?" Gengiga's ruthless grin disappeared behind a growing white dome of incandescent light. Regigigas lifted his free arm, unleashing a Hyper Beam from his palm and propelling himself over to his stone creation. Registeel was dropped beside its Stone Age sibling as their maker situated himself before them, bringing his hands together and swinging them apart. A golden wall of light spanning several miles across shook and shimmered as it contained the entirety of Gengiga's Discharge attack.

Mesprit watched Regigigas's Wide Guard fade away, gawking in horror at the land beyond the barrier. The superheated air throbbed and coiled in on itself, making the prospect of peering any further than a few feet nearly impossible. The ground radiated with an angry crimson glow, molten glass replacing stone and soil. As Mesprit flew higher, she could see a perfect half circle of glass stretching for several miles from the imaginary line where Regigigas' barrier once stood.

The droning of the unbelievably powerful electrical attack was broken as a quivering white sphere punched a hole through the shimmering air and slammed into the white titan. The Focus Blast spun and ground against Regigigas' forearms as he blocked the attack at the last second. For a few seconds the Mover of Continents held his ground, giving not an inch as the attack dug into his arms. Gengiga screamed forward, dropkicking the sphere with both feet and sending the white titan flying across the field.

"I think I'm just gonna knock each of you around a bit before I absorb you. You'll have to forgive me for being so rusty earlier; I've only ever had one sparring partner. This'll be the first real fight I've had in centuries, so I'm gonna make it last." Gengiga cackled, turning to face the stone and steel avatars. Regirock began to glow, drawing the life engine's attention almost instantly.

"Oh, I've got something for just for you." An emerald sphere began to coalesce in Gengiga's open palm. Regirock was halfway through its self-destruct sequence when the life engine's Energy Ball attack collided with it, reducing the stone golem into fine sand.

"Come back from that!" Gengiga yelled, turning around in time to see Registeel readying another Flash Cannon.

Gengiga's hand glowed and hummed before launching a bolt of lightning from his fingertips before his target could unleash its own attack. The bolt connected at Registeel's feet, launching it into the air along with several tons of earthen debris. Gengiga was quick to meet the iron avatar in the sky, bringing down his fists like a hammer against Registeel's Protect.

The barrier held, even as it slammed into the ground and sank deeper still into the earth's crust with Gengiga's ghostly fist slamming into it once more from above. A second fist swung along the surface of the widening crater that had formed upon the impact and slammed into the failing force field before launching it across the countryside.

Gengiga watched the trench stretch into the horizon, his smile shrinking slightly upon noticing the surrounding sands beginning to encircle him.

"Not as sturdy as your steely friend back there, but you're persistent I'll give you that," Gengiga smirked, staring at the reforming figure of Regirock. Its outward appearance was softer and rounder as opposed to the rough-hewn look it usually sported. Upon closer inspection he found that, for the moment, a more appropriate name for his target would be Regisand. The surrounding granulated silica swirled and filled in the incomplete portions of its body, having yet to fuse into actual stone.

"_Not like I'll give him that chance though_," Gengiga thought, striking at the golem with a Shadow Claw. Regirock's undulating body moved like water, shifting around the ghost's umbral talons as they cut through the air and missed the fine powder.

The sandstorm that raged around them intensified; sky and sun were traded for a desert rendered airborne. Sand quickly filled the open space within the eye of the sand cyclone where the two fought, tendrils of sand wrapping around Gengiga's ghostly body as he futilely thrashed against them.

As the desert cocoon formed, the patches of purple fur began to fade out until eventually, all vestiges of the giant Gengar disappeared beneath Regirock's Sand Tomb. For a moment, all was silent as the last grains of sand finished raining over the battlefield.

Without warning a purple fist burst through the sand coffin, slamming into Regirock's body. Gengiga's excitement was immediately dashed when the golem's body dissolved into a mound of sand around his fist rather than disappear into his body.

"_D-did I get 'em? I would've felt it, wouldn't I_?" Gengiga pondered as a wave of heat began to wash over from behind him in his sandy prison.

Having fled its earthly vessel, Regirock began to reform beside Regice, whose body still sparked with the residual bolts from its Charge Beam that had been launched at the trapped Gengar. Mesprit watched with bated breath as the dust cleared, revealing a glowing glass cocoon housing the life engine's corpse, or so the sprite of emotion had hoped until she watched it stir from within.

"You aren't the only ones that know Protect, ya know," Gengiga's muffled voice sounded through the molten glass, the green sphere that surrounded him evanescing. "My turn." He smiled malevolently, bringing his arms over each other before violently swinging them out to his sides.

Like a balloon forged from glass, the sphere expanded and ruptured, unloading a barrage of molten globules as the earth beneath Gengiga cratered and widened. Regice and the newly formed Regirock braced themselves for the shockwave of the upcoming walls of earth from Gengiga's Earthquake.

Mounds of glowing glass flattened and slid down the length of a golden barrier that shimmered into existence, halting the crater's growth. Regice and Regirock turned, surprised to find themselves coated in the shadow of their maker, now standing over them with his arms outstretched.

"I'm surprised you're still standing. I honestly thought that last attack would've put you away for good," the ghost said as he contemplated what move to use next on his new sparring partners.

* * *

><p>Silence reigned within the chamber as the Legendaries brainstormed ways to use their last orb of creation. It was something to pass the time as they awaited the news of the Legendary Golems' battle with the ghost. Several ideas had been cast and shot down, many within the group finding the weaknesses in each suggestion. The orb's inability to manipulate free will or undo previous wishes was a double-edged sword; it severely limited their options but at the same time, that very limitation was what kept Ho-Oh from making them his thralls — or just simply wishing them into nonexistence.<p>

"I'm sick of this!" Darkrai yelled, drawing everyone's attention within the chamber. The Legendaries of the room simply stared at him. Some felt he had given voice to their thoughts, others awaited some kind of clarification on his part and a small minority were so lost in thought that they were completely clueless.

"Darkrai, I understand your frustration with the situation, but we must keep calm," Lugia said.

Darkrai's electric blue eye twitched. "Keep calm!?" he thundered. "_Keep calm!?_ I am expected to keep calmwhile we talk so comfortably in this tree while thousands die!? I'm tired of staying here! Forget this stupid wish orb! Let's go out there and do something about all of this!"

"And do what exactly?" Groudon spat, glaring at the Master of Nightmares.

"I don't know!" Darkrai screamed, throwing his arms into the air. "Something! Anything! It's better than just staying here and letting hundreds of lives end every second!"

"More lives will be lost and in lost in vain if we head out with no plan. Making one is easier said than done. There are many variables to consider and if we do not account for them, we risk causing more damage," Lugia replied. Darkrai's outburst was a sign of the tension within the stone chamber. The tension wormed its way deep into every Legendary like a parasite — even the _de facto_ leader wasn't immune. But for the sake of the world, the Guardian of the Sea had to keep order. "Darkrai, I share your frustration, truly I do. I would like nothing more than to head out and fight Ho-oh myself, but this is not a situation that can be settled with battles alone. He is far from the only problem we have to deal with."

"His words do hold merit though. We should do something—" Moltres said.

"Head out and do what?" Zapdos snapped. The air in the chamber seemed to grow denser as his body flared to life with barely restrained lightning. "Would you have us fly out and find cities being attacked by wild pokémon? Would you have us kill them? Or maybe scare them into submission and have them promise to never hurt humans? How would we hold them to it? We do not know who has given their allegiance to Ho-oh or if he has spies amidst those in the wild? Our actions might very well even lead those currently neutral to join him!"

"Our actions must be for the good of both humans and pokémon. We cannot favor either side, doing so would undermine our message," Lugia said.

Articuno chimed in. "Sister, you must also consider that if we were to set out, how would we do it? Would you have us go as a group? Not all of us can move at the same speed and the amount of space we would cover would be much too small. Splitting ourselves into smaller groups would invite attacks from those allied with Ho-oh. Some of us will have to stay here to guard the orb against theft. The more we leave behind, the better protection the orb has but as a result the amount of area we can cover is lessened. Guarding the orb is not an insignificant undertaking; we cannot expect the wild pokémon here to undertake this task alone. Ho-oh is less inclined to attempt taking this orb knowing that we're here. The minute he becomes aware that its protection has thinned, he will move to strike."

"The element of stealth may have been lost to us entirely. I see no reason as to why Ho-oh would send this giant Gengar to Kanto if it were not to attack us. He may know our exact location or was simply sending this Gengar to sniff us out. If we understood Mesprit correctly about this Gengar's abilities, then it may have been building its strength in Sinnoh to be able to fight us," Cresselia added.

"How about moving ourselves and the orb to a new location?" Darkrai suggested. Despite his calm tone of voice, his eye was twitching as if something were trying to explode from him.

"Not the best idea. This place is pretty remote and protected by powerful pokémon besides us. There aren't many places on this continent that would make a suitable fortress to guard this thing and shelter us. Trust me, I would know," Groudon replied.

Lugia looked around and digested everyone's input. After a few moments, he spoke. "I have to agree with Groudon. The faster we decide what to do with this orb, the faster we can mobilize and take action against Ho-oh,"

"But at the rate we're going it might already be too late! Ho-oh could be amassing an army as we speak!" Moltres cried.

"Do we have anyone that we could call upon to fight for the humans?" Cresselia asked, glancing around the chamber.

"The people and pokémon of Alamos aren't soldiers. I'd rather not force them into that role," Darkrai countered.

"And no one is asking you to, Darkrai. I myself would not ask the people of Shamouti Island to fight and die for me and I think I can speak for Latias and Mew that the inhabitants of Altomare and this structure are not to be turned into soldiers unless they are willing," Lugia replied.

"What Kyogre did to the pokémon of the sea, dick move. Those that were born on this earth didn't ask to be, so it seems unfair ta make them fight for us just 'cause they live on my creation," Groudon added.

"If the humans want to live, they should fight for that right. We shouldn't spill the blood of pokemon for them," Zapdos replied.

"That goes without saying, Zapdos," Lugia replied, shooting a scolding glance at the Master of Lightning.

"Don't they have armies?" Articuno asked. "As I recall they've had those in the past. They mustn't all be dismantled in this peacetime?"

"Two things. Where can we find their armies? And how can we do so quickly?" Moltres replied. She looked expectantly at everyone else but all she got were bewildered stares.

"It's almost laughable. We've been on this planet for so long and yet we still do not know enough about the humans to help them." Cresselia gave a hollow and bitter laugh, an act that made even Darkrai look at her with puzzlement.

Mesprit's inert form suddenly coming back to life derailed all other thoughts and drew everyone's attention to her.

"Mesprit, were we successful?" Lugia asked.

The Architect of Emotion was silent for a moment, eyes cast towards the ground for a few seconds before lifting them up to stare into the ocean guardian's eyes.

"Define successful." Her voice quivered angrily, knowing the price for the outcome was too steep for her liking and that that particular part of the world would never be the same.

* * *

><p>Ash rained from the clouds of soot that blanketed the skies, blocking out a sun that would've hung directly above the region. Geysers of lava rose to reach to the blackened skies above, only to come crashing down to the barren lands around it. Gengiga stood amidst the destruction, held in place by shackles of ice and stone.<p>

"I guess you finally got me." The ghost smiled as single gold bolt of electricity jumped from one hair to another, assuring the regi he was still paralyzed. In the span of a few hours they'd killed him several dozen times over. He'd exhausted his movepool but succeeded in dodging, deflecting, and blocking all of their ice and electrical attacks.

Hundreds of craters carved out the land for miles, patches and roads of glass haphazardly marked the terrain. Magma veins had been ruptured, canyons and mountains had formed in the wake of their battle.

A wide river of lava parted around Regigigas's legs as he held Regice and the molten form of what Gengiga had dubbed, Regislag. Registeel stood atop its master's golden head, synchronizing its movements with its siblings for their final attack. White orbs of energy took shape between their extended arms, pulsating and growing with every second.

The spheres of their AncientPower technique gradually gravitated towards the other, eventually fusing into a single globe that rivaled Regigigas in size. The Legendary Golems slipped away from their master as he reeled his arm back. The golems braced themselves for the impact that would come. Gengiga watched in amusement as the white giant's fist glowed with the same intensity as the ball of energy he was about to strike.

"I guess these guys really wanted to keep the poison types of their region." Gengiga sighed, closing his eyes just before the pale titan's Focus Punch connected.

"Ancient Force!" Regigigas yelled, the shockwave cratering the pool of lava around them. The sphere shot forward with blinding speed, carving a deep trench as it sped towards the target. Waves of lava rose behind the Mover of Continents as he stumbled back, Regice and Registeel managed to keep their balance atop the hardened and frosting platform of cooling lava. A mound of lava stood from the volcanic pool, seven blinking dots that glowed beneath the coat of liquid rock was the only semblance of the third Regi still left.

Gengiga felt his body futilely offer up life after life to substitute his own and stave off death for as long as it could. The ghost couldn't help but be impressed at the power behind the attack, going through the hundreds of lives within him in seconds. The blast flung him across the devastated landscape they had fought on. A tremendous splash heralded the life engine's watery grave.

Oddly enough, as Gengiga began to sink into the depths, he felt himself at peace with everything that had transpired. His cursed existence would finally be over if the attack did its job properly. The artifact that steals the lifeforce of others would be broken beyond repair. His use as a weapon for some party's gain would be no more.

There were still some regrets; the dream of a life that did not need to leech the lives of others. Somewhere in his fight against the trio, he had given up and allowed himself to be captured. He had plenty of techniques in his arsenal to stave off his defeat at the hands of these faceless guardians of Kanto but the part of him that fought to live knew his continued existence under the command of Uxie was no life at all.

When the last poison-type within him died, he smiled. He would finally be at peace.

As his vision gradually faded away to black, he swore he could see Jigglypuff smiling back at him.


	7. So It Goes

**First and foremost, a large thanks to Zarrelion for betaing this chapter, especially with his polishing of several lines in this chapter that couldn't have sounded better had he not tended to them.**

* * *

><p>Rows of gondolas flanked the vacant stone walkways they were tethered to, the waters within them deceptively still, like solid paths of sage green glass. Glaucomatous skies hung above the island. Clotheslines once festooned with vibrant articles of clothing now hung barren and lifeless like cobwebs between buildings. The once busy canals that extended through nearly all of Altomare were empty.<p>

Fishermen and sailors who had attempted to leave the island had been quickly dispatched by the ocean's denizens, their vessels torn apart and lying in pieces on the ocean floor. Attempts at electronic communication with the outside world were equally dismal — all they got was dead silence. A messenger Pidgey had been sent out days ago, but with each passing day hope for its return withered and eventually died. It saddened Tral to see his home in such a state but he knew today was important and would require all his focus on this particular moment in his life.

Tral did not see the world like other humans and pokémon. In fact, he had ceased to see it the same way since his evolution from a Natu. The past, present, and future were all viewed at same time through his eyes. It wasn't until he looked back at his experiences as a Natu that he realized how limited and narrow his vision had once been.

Attempts at describing his experience to his offspring were difficult at best. He had found that the closest analogy he could use to give them a general idea was a wall composed entirely of the human instruments known as televisions. All the boxes would be playing the same story, but each screen would be showing a different scene. Some would be near the beginning; others were near the end. The story in question was the Xatu's entire lifespan or the life of anyone that they looked upon.

Tral had witnessed his own birth and death, as well as those of his offspring and his mate. Like many of his kind he had come to terms with it; although the concept of death for Xatu was a difficult one to understand for many. To a Xatu, when someone died, they were not truly gone, for they were still alive in the past. Their indifference towards the event often made seem unfeeling and cold to others.

Xatu could revisit and relive entire memories whenever they wanted; all they would need to do was focus on a particular screen on the wall. The emotions and sensations would come and go as they had lived them, feeling fresh and new regardless of the amount of times they had relived a specific memory.

As a result, they were rarely bored. Should monotony ever bare its ugly head, a quick peek into the future or past remedied such feelings. It could be easy to get lost as Xatu were known to stand still for days at a time, peering into their future or reliving the past. The longer one spent sifting through their own life, the harder it was to find the present.

Tral stood beside the fountain within the secret garden that housed the Soul Dew. His children hopped along the grass, pecking experimentally in hopes of finding seeds.

Perched along the other side of the fountain was a Honchkrow that went by the name of Kawpone, his entire murder of Murkrow scattered amidst the surrounding trees in watch of anything that might threaten the safety of their boss.

"Youse betta not be screwin' wit me an' mah boys," the Big Boss pokémon grumbled, unaccustomed to leaving the safety of his hideout in the shadows of Altomare.

"She arrives a few seconds from now," Tral replied, knowing it did not sate the bird. Seconds after the comment, the surface of the water from the fountain broke, two figures emerging from its depths. The crimson Eon Legendary stared in bewilderment at the sight, not expecting an audience for her arrival. Mew did not share her sentiments.

"Wow, so this is your place? Cool! Oooh, you've got a swing set! I love swings. It's been like a gajillion years since I played on one. I mean not really a gajillion but it's been soooo long. I get first dibs!" Mew cried, spinning around Latias' head.

The red dragon smiled, wondering how someone who'd lived for thousands of years, traveled the world in that time, and dwelled within a structure as magnificent as the Tree of Beginning, could still be so enthused by her simple little garden.

"Lati, Lati, play with me! You push and I'll swing, then you'll swing and I'll push. Please please please pleeeeaaaseee!" Mew begged, twisting in the air as he spoke.

"Von, Ku, Egut, please play with Mew while Kawpone and I speak with Latias," Tral whispered, ushering his children forward with a wing.

"Yay! New friends!" Mew cheered, gliding over to meet his new playmates, temporarily forgetting Latias' existence.

Latias silently mouthed a thank you before floating over to her mysterious savior.

"Sorry about him, he can get pretty riled up when he gets to a new place," she whispered.

"It's quite all right," Tral began, dipping his head towards her before he continued into introductions. "My name is Tral and this is Kawpone, leader of Altomare's Murkrow." The ocean city's shadow king gave a curt nod and a bow, surprising many of the nearby Murkrow by the rare display of respect.

"Our fathers knew each otha and I knew yer brother personally. I'm sorry fer yer loss," Kawpone's tone was low as he reached up with a wing and dipped the fedora-shaped crest of feathers upon his head.

"Thank you," Latias whispered back, surprised that someone else was part of the small group who had known her brother. Latios had never mentioned Kawpone to her, but then there were a lot things that he had neglected to tell her before he'd died. "I wasn't expecting company. I'm actually back he—"

"—ere to appoint a steward to officially govern Altomare in your extended leave," the mystic bird interjected, leaving the Legendary stunned. Kawpone's eyes widened with interest, shifting ever so slightly closer to hear the conversation better.

A brief look of confusion played across the Eon Legendary's face before it was replaced by a neutral expression. "Uh…yeah. Did you know I was coming?"

"Xatu can see the entirety of a lifespan of an individual, including their own. It can be construed as seeing one's own future. I knew the purpose of your arrival in this moment," Tral replied.

"Guess you saved me a lot of time then. So…am I picking your or…him?" Latias said uncertainly, her gaze shifting between the mystic and the big boss.

"You pick both," Tral explained, earning himself a loaded glare from the Honchkrow beside him.

"Both?" Latias replied warily, psychically sensing the sudden resentment emanating from Kawpone.

"Yes. You come to this conclusion when assessing both of our strengths and abilities. Kawpone is an excellent leader, commanding the complete respect and loyalty of his underlings. Few, if any, pokémon in Altomare can lay claim to this asset. The other pokémon will rally under a banner bearing his name. They provide the muscle necessary to defend the island from attackers. In addition, their knowledge of the island's layout is unmatched."

Despite Kawpone's best efforts, his grimace gradually curved into a small smile.

"However, left being the only one in charge, the position will become eventually become abused," Tral added.

One of the Murkrow flared his wings and glared at Tral. "Youse got a lot of nerve tawkin' 'bout our boss like dat!" When the Murkrow made a move to lunge at the offending mystic, Kawpone swung his wing in a swift punch that left the bird on the ground.

"B-b-b-but boss, he was disrespectin' you!" the Murkrow offered feebly as he scrambled to pick himself off the ground.

"Da boid's said nothin' but da truth. I know myself well enough ta know da power would get ta my head. Dis boid's gotta lotta moxie sayin' what he's sayin'." Kawpone then let a smile split his beak. "I like'em." His smile then vanished and was replaced by an icy scowl as he turned to his cowed subordinate. "You, on the other wing, are gonna hafta do somethin' 'bout dat beak o' yours. Youse crow outta turn again and I'll personally bust yer beak an' leave ya swimmin wit the Remoraid."

Latias didn't know feathers could grow pale until Kawpone turned away from his subordinate and glided over to them. "Sorry 'bout him, keep goin'."

"As for myself, I lack the subordinates and strength Kawpone and his murder hold," Tral began, unfazed by the tongue-lashing and threat the big boss had dished out to his subordinate. "Yet their strength will mean nothing if speed and preparation are not present. I can work with Kawpone to coordinate preemptive strikes against assaults on Altomare. Aside from strategy and tactics I can also serve as a check and balance to Kawpone to the denizens of Altomare, thereby providing those fighting for us a sense of calm and protection that otherwise could not be promised outside of Kawpone's murder were he solely in charge."

"You're making me wonder why I even bothered with this trip at all," the Eon dragon replied with a sigh, a mixture of relief and frustration evident in her voice.

"Your approval of this appointment is paramount. As the last Guardian of Altomare and strongest pokémon on the island, your word carries much more weight than either of ours will. If the remaining pokémon inhabitants of Altomare know that you support this plan, they will readily join us to defend the city."

Latias shifted her gaze to Mew, currently having a staring contest with one of the Natu.

"_It seems like they've got everything figured out already. Saves me a lot of the trouble of having to go around searching and deciding. What would you do brother? This seems like the best choice right now." _Seconds ticked by as Latias was left to her thoughts, the sound broken only by soft crunch of grass as Mew hopped across the garden with Tral's children.

"Okay," Latias finally said with a sigh, "I'll leave you guys in charge while I'm gone."

Kawpone nodded, turning to Tral before repeating the gesture and taking off to the skies with the rest of his flock following suit.

"_This trip ended up being a lot shorter than I anticipated. I was kinda hoping I'd have an excuse to meet with Bianca and Lorenzo while I searched, but now…"_ The crimson dragon glanced over at Mew, psychically pushing himself on the swings he had seen earlier while the Natu watched. "_Meeting with them might just be wasting time. Altomare seems like it'll be safe for now and the others are waiting for Mew and me back at the tree. I shouldn't keep them waiting if I don't need to_."

"Mew, we have to go," Latias said with a sigh betraying her own reluctance to leave this place.

"What!? Already?" Mew cried, stopping halfway through his swing.

"Yes, Mew. The others are waiting for us and this trip didn't end up being as long as I thought it would be. I promise you can come with me when I come back here again."

"_Whenever that is_," a voice in the back of her mind seemed to add darkly.

"Awwwww. Come on Lati, can't we stay a little longer?"

"Mew," Latias replied flatly, doing her best to give him the sternest gaze she could muster.

"Okay," Mew said sullenly, his entire body slumped as he started turning. "Can I at least say bye to my new friends?"

"All right." she relented, a small smile emerging from her once firm expression.

"_Is this what being a mom would be like_?" Latias wondered, the scene of a miniature Latios and Latias cuddling with her flashing through her mind. The fantasy quickly turned bittersweet at the realization that aside from her brother and father, she knew of no others of her kind. Latios had never mentioned the existence of other Eon pokémon, for all she knew she could be the last of her kind.

"Latias."

"Huh? Oh, sorry," the psychic dragon said, turning to face the mystic bird that had now drawn closer to her. "Tral, right? I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

"This has been my home since I was hatched, and it is the home of my children. It is an honor to serve and protect it. I know you are worried, but know that there is a good chance we will meet each other again," Tral replied.

"A good chance? I thought you already knew your future?"

"The future is rarely set in stone. Xatu do their best to avoid altering the events of their life and the lives of others too heavily. Knowing what is to come can often change the outcome of a series of events that have yet to happen. Looking at your life, I can tell you what awaits you in the years that are to come. However, just in telling you your fate, your entire future could be rewritten and the things I'd told you would suddenly become meaningless. With your newfound knowledge you would make different choices, and in turn replace an old future with a new and possibly entirely different one."

"So you can't tell me anything in the end, or you could, but it wouldn't mean anything the second you told me?

"From a certain point of view, yes. Your future right now is…difficult, and although telling you may help in some ways, it may make other situations worse to the point of shortening your life and the lives of others."

"But what about you and Kawpone? You did everything for me; wouldn't that change the future as well?" Latias countered.

"The changes I witnessed by taking matters into my own wings was minimal at best. You would've come to the same conclusion eventually. I was simply speeding up the process, much like Celebi has done for you by divulging the information she knew. Those of us who know of matters that have yet to unfold for others must be careful of the ripples we make. Before you leave here, I leave you with two messages. One you must impart upon Mesprit. These words will be the key to turning the future battles that will come slightly in your favor."

"What is it?" Latias implored, nervous and exhilarated at the same time.

"You must listen closely to what I'm about to say. Divulging these words to her too early risks changing the future for one that has harsher outcomes. You may tell her half a month from now, give or take a few days. You will know when the time is right. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Latias nodded, listening intently as Tral spoke.

* * *

><p>"Status," Uxie calmly inquired the instant he felt Alakalossal's presence behind him.<p>

"My lord, our agents regret to inform you that…that Gengiga has been…defeated at the coast of Kanto. Their poison type population appears untouched," the giant psi pokémon replied, his voice strained as if he had fought to force every word out of his mind.

Uxie was silent for several seconds, beeps and whirrs from the various machines surrounding them left to fill the pregnant gap of silence.

"Acceptable loss. Can imagine utilization of golem trio to counteract his natural abilities. Insufficient time and targets to practice upon with newly uploaded moveset potentially led to downfall. Will simply have to redistribute strike teams to attend to poison types in Johto. Can allow others to handle situation in Kanto," Uxie said, his earlier silence attributed to a series of calculations and mental notes he had felt the need to complete before responding.

Alakalossal simply stood behind the sprite, allowing the silence to lengthen after Uxie had finished speaking. There had been other news, but some part of him couldn't help but wait for something else to be said about Gengiga before he continued. As the seconds ticked on the psi giant realized that Uxie had said all he cared about regarding the subject.

Although they had never been friends or comrades, there was a grudging respect for the life engine, one that had been forged through several battles they'd had in the past. News of his passing had taken several seconds longer to acknowledge than updates on the complete genocide of several other species on the planet. As much as he hated to admit it, a part of him still couldn't comprehend his rival's elimination.

The news had…affected him, creating a brief lag in his ability to efficiently process information. For a moment, the world around him seemed…inexplicably different, as if the steel that the facility was composed of had been replaced with some kind of plastic or some other material that lacked any form of luster. The sun, the air, the sky, the sea, and even the others of his kind that surrounded him felt less _real_. Updates of other teams that had carried out Uxie's other missions continued to be spoken to him, only to be repeated once more as he regained his bearings.

"_Are you sure that he was…eliminated? I will not bring inaccurate information to lord Uxie. Did you see his destruction? He may have survived despite lacking a visible form. It's been known to occur when he's been whittled down to only a few…well check again! What do you mean they can't sense him?! Search the waters; maybe his artifact survived the attack! I've battled with him; an attack of that magnitude would not have finished him off so…well check again once the terrain has cooled and the Legendaries have left_." Thoughts regarding the circumstances of Gengiga's death swirled within in the psi giant's mind as he struggled to formulate his words.

"Anything else to report?" Uxie asked, breaking Alakalossal's train of thought.

"Uh…y-yes my lord. I was simply concerned for the success of our project with Gengiga's absence."

"Hardly a loss. Subtraction from the group requires the rearrangement of certain steps on our schedule. Anticipated and calculated probability of failure of his mission and created several contingency plans. Performed adequately within mission parameters. Served intended purpose." Uxie's tone made his thoughts on the subject clear.

"Very well, my lord," Alakalossal replied, his voice hollow as he spoke. "Progress reports of the lava species' elimination is moving at the expected rates you predicted. Mewtwo's autonomous performance also to specifications. Genesis chamber complete and indexing process has begun."

"Excellent. Will inform Ho-oh," the Sprite of Intellect said as he finally turned around to face the psi giant, floating past him without a word.

* * *

><p>Uxie quickly found the sky's guardian perched atop the highest point of Mewtwo's former sanctuary. There was a disheveled look about him, the vibrancy that once illuminated his feather had vanished as he brooded and roosted.<p>

"How might I be of assistance," Ho-oh spat bitterly at the sprite, refusing to face him as he hovered closer.

"Would like personal input on a project being developed in Sinnoh," Uxie calmly replied, ignoring the barely disguised contempt in Ho-oh's voice.

"Why not ask any of your countless worshippers?"

"Reverence for me creates biased opinions. Rayquaza and Kyogre preoccupied with respective missions. Prospect of contacting them difficult considering lack of known whereabouts on planet. Giant Gengar has been defeated and destroyed upon attempt of infiltrating Kanto region. Fortunately, was able to recruit ghost pokémon population in Sinnoh to our side and eliminate remaining poison pokémon population within the region. Mewtwo incapable of giving desired criticism."

"Where is Mewtwo?" the phoenix muttered, lazily searching the general vicinity for him.

"Have sent him to Hoenn region to handle new atmospheric erosion situation that has occurred due to undampening. Will return shortly. Have made substantial improvements with battle autonomy and overall abilities. Can demonstrate for you once mission is complete and returns. Until then, will teleport through use of Alakazam."

As if on command, a dozen or so of the psi pokémon teleported into their midst, floating in the classic lotus position as they formed a ring around them.

"So be it," Ho-oh replied dully, watching as the eyes of the psychics surrounding them glowed. Ho-oh blinked and immediately found that the Alakazam had now been replaced with walls of mirrors and a panoply of Metagross.

Flying back and forth within the large reflective dome were several Iron Leg pokémon, busying themselves on electronic terminals housed behind a sliding glass panels. The size of the facility easily dwarfed that of the metal tower coliseum he'd flown over in Orre. The floors beneath them were also made of mirrors, making it impossible for Ho-oh to escape the haggard reflection that stared tiredly back at him.

"Uxie, what is this?" he asked.

"Have designated this facility as the genesis chamber," Uxie replied as he "looked" at one of the terminals.

"Meaning?" Ho-oh asked testily, watching the sprite float towards one end of the room.

Uxie approached one mirror in particular among the rows that lined the entire dome. Ho-oh watched as the sprite drew closer and closer to his own reflection and stopped just inches from the glass. The reflective panel slid into the ground, revealing a terminal behind it like the ones he had seen the Metagross access earlier.

"Aside from collecting samples of DNA from clone candidates, have also taken liberty of securing and indexing genetic code of pokémon designated for genocide." The Sprite of Intellect elaborated; a screen upon the terminal winked to life, displaying the image of a Grimer.

The phoenix's eyes widened, each reflective panel within the dome now taking on a new meaning.

"Have taken copious samples to account for vast genetic variation. As can be seen, have dedicated small group of Metagross to process and memorize strands of genetic sequences. One of few pokémon capable of undertaking task of this complexity. Species known to be capable of computing faster than human supercomputers. In time I intend, through genetic manipulation, to alter the negative aspects unlocked through the undampening. Hopefully can rework code without altering core specimen too drastically and reintroduce modified subjects back into wild."

"So when you ordered the genocide of the Muk and Grimer…" the rainbow pokémon trailed off, realizing the magnitude of what Uxie was planning.

"Intended to archive and start over with modified specimens. Have never desired to see complete and total extinction of species, regardless of origins. Universe demands diversity."

"So behind each of these mirrors is the essence of every pokémon?"

Uxie shook his head. "No. Genetic library still largely deficient of samples. Several species elusive and difficult to attain samples of. Ghost pokémon samples will be difficult to attain covertly and without losing continued cooperation. Loss of Gengiga makes already fragile alliance difficult to maintain. Other pokémon have mysteriously undergone massive migrations. Plan to eventually find and capture several specimens. Also, despite ease of replicating several pokémon found in wild; have encountered difficulties when attempting to clone Legendaries. Have postulated reasons as to why, but will require more in depth research to ascertain actual reason."

Ho-oh felt an icy chill run through his body. He froze in place, pupils dilating as the blood that flowed through in his veins suddenly ran cold. After several seconds of wide-mouthed gaping, he spoke. "You…you've attempted…to clone us?"

"Have not utilized your genetic samples specifically but have made attempts with Lugia's sibling. So far, every trial has ended in failure. With time, may eventually discover method to produce viable Legendary clone," Uxie replied, the utter nonchalance of which he spoke made it sound like he was running a simple chemical reaction.

Ho-oh's eye twitched as he felt anger rising within him. "You've gone too far this time, Uxie. When the others hear of this they will not stand for it. They will put an end to all of this madness and stop you!" Ho-oh growled as his voice, like his rage, grew in strength.

"I do not understand your logic, thought processes, or how you have come to this conclusion. High probability of dissension among remaining lab members upon learning of attempts at cloning them. But would first require their awareness of this particular experiment," Uxie said as he floated towards the phoenix, his voice positively saturated with curiosity and wonderment, "Awareness which requires you to leave this facility to inform them. Would require you to leave this facility…alive."

Uxie's calm and even tone chilled the Legendary to the core to a degree that no tone — no matter how malicious or threatening — was able to. Ho-oh backed away slowly from the All-Knowing. The phoenix's first instinct to unleash a sea of flames was doused by the knowledge that damaging the sprite before him signed the execution order for the intellect of every being in existence.

"Am curious as to how other lab members would stop me." Uxie continued, heedless of the terrified Legendary before him. "Have calculated possibility of success. If shown, you will find that the numbers do not strongly support your claim. Must factor in psychics under my command as well as take into consideration that I am in the midst of mitigating the damage done by ill-advised and accelerated removal of dampeners. Am ensuring continued existence of several species, rather than complete and total genocide. Am extending longevity of planet's ecosystem. Am successfully maintaining experiment that _you_ started."

Ho-oh frantically scanned his surroundings, unable to find a viable escape route. The horrified expression that was mirrored back at him from every direction did not help matters. Metagross that had once busied themselves around the the chamber now stopped and starred at the spectacle unfolding before them. His thoughts were jumbled and disorganized; lacking any cohesion as he clumsily stepped away from the sprite in panic.

"Can ensure with utmost certainty that my removal from the experiment, from the grand equation, will no doubt compromise the continued survival of all living entities on planet. If allowed to work, planet has hope of maintaining semblance of stability over time. Have gone through a considerable amount of scenarios revolving around your continued existence since our meeting at Mewtwo's facility. Majority of scenarios resulted in hindered progress of experiment."

Before Ho-oh knew it, his feathered back was pressed against the frigid surface of the wall of glass on the other end of room. "Y…Y…You cannot kill me Uxie!" the sky guardian shouted in a feeble display of bravado. "A…A…And y…you know it!"

Uxie remained utterly passive as he continued speaking. "Am well aware of revival capabilities. Considered several methods of permanently removing you from the equation. Could erase memories through eye contact, though find option distasteful. Considered dedicating team of psychics to hold you and restrain you with status afflictions. But utilizing unnecessary resources on you seemed inefficient. Then considered possibility of repurposing you into something beneficial to the experiment. Do not wish to waste a potential resource. Your continual resurrection combined with Gengiga's energy consumption ensured an endless energy reservoir for the life engine. Had considered your absorption at Hearthome, but did not want to risk possibility for failure on Gengiga's behalf. With his removal from the grand equation, have needed to alter and accelerate plans."

Dark ripples pulsed within the mirror directly behind Ho-oh, the epicenter of the undulating rings darkened and expanded to fill the mirror's surface. The air within the room rushed past Uxie, seeking to fill the vacuum that was suddenly created behind the phoenix, drowning out his screams. Ho-oh's talons scraped across the surface of the glass below him, finding purchase for only a few seconds before being sucked into the dark portal behind him.

With a series of mental commands the Metagross of the facility answered Uxie's summons, doing their best to hold the portal open with their combined psychic abilities. Once secure, Uxie began to float away from the gate to the reverse world, hypothesizing the amount of time the Metagross would be able to keep the portal open.

It wouldn't be long before Rayquaza was brought to him to ensure the next phase went smoothly. Until then, he would pass the time scheduling the several new experiments he had come up with. There were so many scientific mysteries to uncover, resources to exploit and field tests to be done. Once the current matter was dealt with he would be able to ensure a considerable lack of monotony for the next foreseeable century.

* * *

><p><strong>Next, Chapter 8: Fallen From Grace<strong>


	8. Fallen From Grace

**Hey, it's been a while. I'm sorry to say that I'm a bit behind schedule, but you know how real life can be sometimes. I'm currently working on the next chapter, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next ones. And as always my most sincerest thanks goes out to Zarrelion for really and seriously outdoing himself on betaing this chapter. **

**Also, before we begin, I realize the last chapter of The Incipience makes some of the events here a little weird despite the dates displayed. I'm planning on moving it to this arc so that it will make sense chronologically. You won't need to leave any reviews for when I make the transfer but I'd love to hear about what you guys think of this chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>760 Years Ago, Shamouti Islands<strong>

Ho-oh took in a lungful of brisk and salty air as he rode atop an ocean gust. His feathers glinted in the radiant sunlight. Warmth from sun's rays pooled throughout his body and created a delightful contrast to the biting cold of his windy mount. He scanned the vast expanse of sea ahead of him and saw three mountains peeking over the edge of the horizon. Serving as the feet of the three sentinels were three tropical islands.

The sun hung high over the world as white and fluffy clouds inched across the sky. It was a beautiful day on all accounts and it served to remind the golden guardian of the beauty that lay beyond the lands he lorded over.

A quick glance to the area directly below treated him to the sight of a crescent mountain range that hugged the length of the island he sought. Ho-oh plummeted towards the mountainous coastline. A prismatic trail flared to life in his wake. He zeroed in on a thick ring of red hibiscus, crowning a plateau jutting out of the mountainside. Standing amidst the halo of flowers was the one he sought, presiding over a stone forging itself into a shrine with nothing more than raw telekinetic might.

"So this is where the so called Beast of the Sea resides." Ho-oh perched himself atop one of the many stone columns that encircled the silver sentry. Lugia gave an amused snort and turned to face the phoenix, now currently bowing to him with his wings extended.

"It's nice to see you too, old friend," the diving Legendary replied with a wry smile.

"You might see me more often if you actually came to visit me!"

"You know it is not that simple."

Ho-oh dismissively waved a wing. "Yes, yes. You could summon horrible storms that would devastate the landscape…or at least you could until we were bogged down with these horrid limiters." The rainbow phoenix lifted his leg as if to present an imaginary shackle clamped onto it.

Lugia looked out over the tranquil seas. "You know it's for the best. Even so, my powers can still wreak havoc."

"My dear friend, how long has it been since you've unleashed these dreaded gales you fear so much? As I recall, the inhabitants that reside just over these very mountains still live." Ho-oh paused, debating whether to press the topic any further and venture into more sensitive matters. "You've never truly forgiven yourself for that incident."

Lugia shook his head and sighed as memories came roaring back like the winds on that fateful day. "The storm I made lasted over a month. The lives it claimed, the damage it dealt…they can never be undone. I must take this responsibility; it is my rightful weight to bear."

"And what of those of us that care for you? Must we also suffer from your self-imposed exile?"There was bitterness in Ho-oh's voice, and for a moment Lugia wondered whether his friend was speaking on behalf of his lifemate or himself.

Ho-oh averted his gaze for a moment. "She misses you dearly."

Lugia sighed in reply as he vocalized his thoughts. "I know. I miss her as well," he replied in a voice heavy with sorrow and longing.

"Why not have her join you here?" Ho-oh replied. All he got in reply was a sigh.

"Aside from the very real danger of having two powerful creatures in the same area, there have been…complications."

The rainbow phoenix touched a wing on his counterpart's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "…You know I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Tension and silence quickly saw fit to join the harsh tropical humidity that now hung over them. Ho-oh averted his eyes, wondering if he had said too much before Lugia opened his mouth and then closed it as he mulled over the words and started again.

"We've been…arguing," the Beast of the Sea replied with a sigh.

"…About?" Ho-oh asked. He silently hoped that he had not transgressed into sensitive territory.

"She…she wishes to bear children."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them like the humid wind of a tropical storm.

Ho-oh was the first to break the stifling silence. "She knows that Legendaries can never reproduce like the mortals?"

Lugia nodded. "She knows that. But she also knows I have one last orb of creation."

Ho-oh's attempt at keeping a neutral and passive expression shattered as his eyes reflexively widened. His beak parted open slightly to voice his unease but clicked back together as he held his tongue. Lugia nodded as if thankful for his decision to stay his tongue.

The Guardian of the Sea continued. "That is not all. My brother wants a mate of his own. He feels entitled to one as he came before her. So here I am, torn between the two. I'll lose one if I pick the other."

Ho-oh lowered his gaze to see the runes carved into the stone beneath them, wracking his brain for some answer to his friend's predicament and finding only one viable solution. "What if you could please them both? I could give you one of m—"

"Absolutely not!" Lugia cut in, not wanting to let his friend finish laying out such an abominable plan.

Ho-oh was undeterred. "Come now, Lugia. This could easily solve your dilemma. I really only need three to remake my guardians and I honestly have no idea what to do with the rest of my wishes. I need nothing else to be happy." He made a gesture towards the blue sky with a wing and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if Arceus was wrong to bestow me with so many and give the others so little."

"I'm touched that you would offer me an orb of creation," Lugia said. He then shook his head and fixed the rainbow phoenix with a stern glare. "But this is my problem — one that I created. I must accept consequences of my actions. Whatever decision I make in the end may hurt one of them, but hopefully time shall heal their wounds."

Ho-oh smiled. He had one last trick. "That being said, surely you must lean one way or another."

There was no response save for a slight pink blush on the silver sentinel's cheeks as he bowed his head.

"It looks as though you've already decided."

"…She can be very persuasive," Lugia replied

"And so we finally find what truly tames the Beast of the Sea!" Ho-oh said through an utterance between laugh and a cough.

Lugia half-heartedly took a swipe at the Sky Guardian. His silver wing contacted only air as the golden phoenix rocketed upwards amidst uproarious laughter.

"Just know that if things turn out poorly, my offer still stands," Ho-oh said between laughs, hoping the tension had been defused by the mirth.

"It won't be necessary, but thank you. I know your intentions are pure and I won't deny that I'm moved by your willingness to offer up one of your wishes."

"Is that not what friends are for?" Ho-oh replied with a smile.

"Indeed." Lugia chuckled, "Although I hope that in time you may find something that only the maker's gift can bestow. I could not live with myself if my poor judgment robbed you of the chance to attain a possible dream. Our wishes could alter the very fabric of reality, and yet here I've gone and let my selfishness guide my actions." A note of repentance and regret seeped into the Beast of the Sea's words.

"Was our maker's decision to make us sheer selfishness?" Ho-oh replied. He swept over the glassy blue ocean with a wing. "In this entire world, we one-of-a-kind. Our life was created to be one of solitude, much like it was for our maker. It may even be that he gave us these wishes to follow his example."

"Then, should you ever consider making a partner, learn from my mistakes, old friend."

"Worry not. I don't believe I'll find myself in the grip of solitude any time soon."

Lugia cocked his head to one side. "Oh?"

"Yes. If you must know, there's a group of humans that have become quite enamored with me."

"Humans you say?" Lugia replied, humoring the Sky Guardian.

"You don't sound surprised."

"Let us just say that you are not the only one deified by humans."

"You don't say?" Ho-oh smiled, a competitive glint shining in his eyes. "Well then, what have they built in your honor?"

"Built?" Lugia shot his friend a puzzled look.

Ho-oh dismissively waved a wing. "But of course," he said, as if talking to a child. "On the mainland, my humans have seen fit to erect a structure to house and worship me. On my way here I found this island lacking any sort of shrine to honor you…" He waved a wing at the rocks and vegetation on the island. "Unless you count this pathetic pile of rocks and grass as a suitable shrine."

"'I'll have you know that I created this altar!" Lugia shot back, gesturing to the now finished shrine, its rocky surface decorated with elegant carvings and smooth flowing lines. "Though I wonder, surely they made your monument out of stone?"

"They built it from the surrounding trees. What of it?"

Lugia smiled and condescendingly shook his head at the golden Legendary — much as one would do to a child who'd made an obvious mistake. "And therein lay their folly. Housing a creature that commands fire in a wooden dwelling? It won't be long before I hear the tearful tale of how you burned your tribute to cinders."

"I am not so reckless that I would burn their gift to me! What of you? Sounding so proud and mighty, what have they made in your name?" Ho-oh snapped. The slight twitch of his eye hinted that Lugia's barb struck a little deeper than intended.

"Unlike your lands, this island has few trees for the humans to use and build anything substantial for me. Yet, I prefer it that way. Their tribute to me is something far more timeless than any secular token your worshippers have constructed."

"And what would that be?"

"A song, inspired and modeled after my voice," Lugia replied, sounding as if the news were common knowledge.

"Wonderful," Ho-oh said between a feigned yawn. "As if we needed to hear an echo of _that_."

"They tell me the song will be taught and passed down through their future generations," Lugia continued, ignoring his friend's earlier quip.

"I'm impressed that Meloetta's influence would reach this far."

"Indeed. I must admit that watching these humans is truly fascinating."

"Agreed. And there is a depth to them, one I find the other creatures of this world somewhat lacking," the sky guardian replied.

"Lacking?" the silver Legendary inquired, tilting his head to one side.

"Do not misunderstand; I do not claim that other creatures of this world are simple. I simply wish to point out that these particular creatures have a deeper complexity to them than the others."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you're familiar with the creatures known as Smeargle?" the Sky Guardian asked.

"I am."

"Then you know of the inclination their kind has had to create wondrous and colorful images from their tails?"

Lugia nodded.

"Might I also assume you've seen Meloetta's influence affect certain pokémon, enough that they have composed melodies of their own?

Another nod from Lugia.

"Do you not find it interesting then, that humans have pursued each of these creative outlets while the other creatures do not? There is a drive that motivates them to enhance their culture. They have crafted gifts for me from stone and wood, composed songs and woven tales from their language that has touched my heart. The rate at which their kind advances is staggering, and a part of me cannot help but wonder how they will develop," Ho-oh said.

"It does seem to be our maker's way of compensation for their kind," Lugia said sagely.

"You may be right. At first glance they seem rather unremarkable — nay, feeble — compared to the other creatures of this world," Ho-oh said. "Cut off from the elements, physically weaker, slower and more fragile. It's no wonder the limiters were put into place to make sure they survived. After watching them for some time I now believe their true gift lies not in the capabilities of their bodies, but in their minds."

"You speak of them as if they were your children," the diving Legendary said.

Ho-oh smiled. "I will admit to have developed a certain attachment to them. I feel as though I'm beginning to peer into the joys of parenting. Guiding one's young along the right path and feeling surges of pride when they succeed."

* * *

><p><strong>August 21 -Present day<br>**

Ho-oh screamed as he hurtled through the portal, swaths of misty purple filled his field of vision as he spun. A platform of stone quickly rose to meet him and ended his flight through the parallel world. The phoenix rolled onto his feet and spread his wings out, prepared to take flight at a moment's notice. Gouts of flame flared from his nostrils as his talons dug through the patch of grass beneath him and into the stone. The sky guardian fervently glanced at his surroundings, breathing heavily as he took everything in — not that there was much to see in the hadal environment.

Silhouettes of other rock platforms — seemingly mushrooming endlessly out of similar ones — were barely visible through the fog. The lavender mist seemed to churn and coil in on itself as it sluggishly billowed across the void. Ho-oh watched as it rolled over a patch of grass at the edge of his platform and bleached the lush green blades to a ghostly white before disintegrating them within seconds. It was then that the purple fog surrounding him took on a new and deadlier meaning.

Ho-oh flapped his wings, sending walls of wind in every direction in hopes to keep the miasma at bay. For all his trouble, the noxious fumes saw fit to rush him the moment he let up his windstorm.

"What sort of nightmare have I been thrust into now?" Ho-oh murmured, hopelessly scanning the purple seas in hopes of finding where they were thinnest.

"Welcome to my domain, young one. I see you've become acquainted with your own handiwork," a voice said. Ho-oh shivered. The voice reminded him of a graveyard deep within a dark forest — icy, ominous and just plain _unnatural. _Ho-oh whirled around to find the speaker but it was no use. The voice was not one but seemingly dozens of voices speaking in some unholy chorus and echoing from the darkest corners of the world.

"There are few that could refer to me as young one, and even less that could lay claim to a domain so far removed from our world. Could it possibly be…" Ho-oh trailed off, not wanting to finish off the sentence.

As if to answer his thoughts the shadows began to converge and pool upon the edge of his platform. Six smoky-black tendrils abruptly shot up from the darkness, each tipped with a crimson spike that sank into the stone around the umbral pool. Two smoldering coals rose from the portal, glaring at him with the baleful glare of a dying star. Meter by meter, a tower of darkness rose; the smoldering rubies that watched him were now tinged with a hint of disappointment.

Despite his best efforts, Ho-oh shivered before the figure that was well over twice his height. The shadows that once coated the entity evaporated into a black mist, revealing his features to the now cowering Legendary.

"G-Giratina," the phoenix choked out, his wings drooping to the ground before being tucked back along his sides.

"Guardian of the skies," the phantom dragon hissed. Ho-oh flinched at the voice. The Lord of the Reverse World reeled the ghostly streamers from the stone they had been anchored to previously behind his serpentine body. His very presence radiated a pressure that held the surrounding miasma at bay.

"A-although unexpected, I appreciate your assistance in rescuing me from Uxie." Ho-oh gulped and put on his bravest face, despite his pounding heart.

"Rescue? You misunderstand, young one. I did not spirit you away from your world to save you. I mean to punish you for your crimes against the balance."

"Crimes? You cannot mean the removal of the dampeners. Surely you must know that my cause was righteous and for the good of our kind!" Ho-oh yelled, rage quickly fueling his malnourished courage.

"Those are precisely the crimes of which I hold you accountable for. You have upset the balance."

"Balance you say!" Ho-oh retorted. "The balance you speak of was wrought with the slavery and suffering!"

"The humans maintained the status quo," Giratina replied, unswayed by Ho-oh's bluster. "How they achieved it was of no concern to me. You cannot fathom the havoc brought upon by the misuse of your wish. Tampering with Arceus' limiters will be the last mistake you ever make."

"Mistake?" Ho-oh uttered the word beneath his breath, as if it were foreign to him. A pregnant silence passed between them, eventually eroding under the soft sound of bitter laughter, growing louder with each second. "Mistake!" the phoenix spat, "You of all creatures would know of those, wouldn't you?"

"You forget your place," Giratina whispered. Despite the softness of his voice, the razor-edged warning under it was clear.

"As if you've never forgotten yours! Who are you to lecture me of mistakes, especially ones concerning those wretched dampeners!? Were it not for you none of this would have happened. You and your hopeless war against our maker!" Ho-oh spat. He took a breath to steel himself.

"**It's because of you that we were punished with the dampeners in the first place!**" Ho-oh's shout seemed to echo infinitely in the unnaturally dark world.

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><p><strong>Genesis Chamber - Sinnoh Region<strong>

"I have brought him to you as you requested, my lord."

Alakalossal bowed before the sprite, a twinge of irritation surfaced and was quickly buried when Rayquaza did not follow suit. Uxie kept his back to them, a single human, psychically held in place, floated in their midst. The balding man's eyes were wide with fear, one of the few freedoms of movement that Uxie seemed to have allowed the man to keep.

Beside them lay a pile of humans of all shapes and sizes, men and women. Their bodies lifelessly sprawled atop each other like a grotesque trash heap. Despite their diverse backgrounds, there was all one thing the dead had common: each of them wore an article of clothing the humans referred to as a lab coat.

Uxie had sent a team of Kadabra to locate and capture humans that wore that particular garment. Once in his grasp he would peruse through their mind, extracting information he found relevant or interesting. The process lasted only a few seconds, and once satisfied with his findings he would dispose of the specimen, having outlived its usefulness as a container for the knowledge he desired.

Alakalossal watched as the man's head abruptly twist away from the sprite; the _crack_ of his vertebrae being pushed past their tensile limit echoed around the quiet chamber. The azure glow that surrounded the man's body dissipated, save for his head, which now kept the corpse from hitting the floor.

Uxie dangled the body just above the ground, a gentle sway heralding the coming toss onto the growing white mound. Without missing a beat, he proceeded to pluck another scientist from the group being restrained by the Kadabra and begin to process anew. He casually cast aside each body as one would an outdated magazine. Despite his general expressionless demeanor, an aura of discontent seemed to radiate off the Uxie's form.

"Are these humans not to your liking, my lord?" a Kadabra — one who'd apparently drawn the shortest spoon — meekly inquired. The staccato _crack_ of snapping necks was not making him any more comfortable.

"Knowledge this batch carries irrelevant to field of research I desire. Still, information valuable," Uxie replied, casually snapping a younger blonde woman's neck and tossing her body onto the growing discard pile. He plucked another hapless scientist from the group and repeated the process.

"T-The next group will surely prove more promising my lord. I-I can assure you." The psychic bowed before blinking out of the existence along with the rest of his group. Uxie continued his psychic harvest, never holding onto a human for more than a few seconds.

Despite their choice to join the war against humans, both the Psi giant and Sky High pokémon found the sight rather unsettling. Rayquaza could only watch in horrified fascination, his earlier disgruntled mood having been derailed by the sight of the mind-shucking.

"Atmospheric erosion due to Slugma and Magcargo currently being handled," Uxie replied, answering Rayquaza's unborn question. "Requested your attendance to assist in more recent incident."

"What is it that you require of me?" the dragon replied, still processing the fact that his earlier misgivings had already been dealt with.

"Ho-oh has been pulled into Giratina's dimension. Utilizing Metagross, am currently maintaining portal open. Unsure how long can maintain it. You are fastest of members. Ideal for entering, retrieving Ho-oh, and returning safely with him."

"Giratina?" Rayquaza murmured, centuries having passed since that name had left his lips.

"Unsure as to motives for capture. Time is of essence. Will you retrieve Ho-oh?" Uxie asked, tossing the last of the scientists into the heap of bodies beside him. The Sentinel of the Jet Stream nodded quietly, making his way towards the swirling portal. He silently gave thanks that the horrid sound of snapping necks had ceased — at least until Uxie got his next batch of scientists.

"How much time do I have?"

"Cannot give approximate answer. Insufficient data. First attempt ever at maintaining Giratina's portal open through external methods. Have successfully managed to maintain stable portal for several minutes. However, the Metagross inform me that continued stabilization will grow increasingly difficult as time goes on. Calculate that portal's condition will deteriorate completely within seven minutes. Will send a Metagross with you to assist in search as well as maintain communication."

"Understood," Rayquaza said as he stared into the portal, mentally bracing himself for what lay ahead.

"There is…one other objective that is of the utmost importance," Uxie added, the corners of his lips twitching slightly as he finished.

* * *

><p>"<em>Why do you favor them so much more than us!? What have they done to deserve all your love!? How can you expect us to bow to such inferior creatures when you made them so obviously flawed? Did we not come first!? What did we do to merit this punishment? This mockery!? How can you expect us to swallow this indignation!? To call your would-be proxies our masters!? Father, can you not see how unfair this is to us!? Where were they when the Avatar of Time and of Space gave shape to reality!? Where were they when we forged the building blocks of existence!? Where were they when we laid the foundations of the universe!<em>?"

It had been eons since Giratina had first voiced these questions to his maker, questions left unanswered. Questions that would later leave him better known as The Renegade.

"Why not join me?"

Giratina had been gazing off into the distance, having no immediate response for his implication in the formation of the dampeners. "Hmm?"

"Why not aid me in my crusade to eliminate the humans? Was that not why you warred against our maker? Would this not be the perfect chance to attain that long sought victory you were denied?" Ho-oh asked.

Black lids eclipsed the burning suns that bore down on the phoenix, a sigh slipped through the dragon's golden crest. "My time here has made me realize how small and petty the notions of victory and defeat truly are. All that matters in the end is the balance. A balance that you have upset. Gaze upon the fruits of your efforts." Giratina motioned with his neck to the miasma around them.

"How are these noxious fumes linked to me?"

"Whenever there is destruction and chaos in your world, it creates the miasma that you see before you. Your world is no stranger to calamity. I have watched its effects on this world since my banishment here. In all the centuries I've spent here, all the wars and the instruments of mass destruction I bore witness to, none of them compare to your actions. Like a child, you splash in a puddle, knowing nothing of the tidal waves you make in the oceans around you."

"What do you mean?"

"You thought your righteous decision to remove the dampeners was restricted to just the planet, didn't you?"

The phoenix's pupils shrunk into pinpricks, the realization now beginning to dawn on him.

"I-It was only meant to affect…"

"You never considered that your actions would send ripples throughout the cosmos. That you simultaneously plagued the universe with madness and chaos."

"My intentions were good!" Ho-oh shouted.

"And yet here you are." The Renegade's voice retained its calm, sepulchral quality.

Ho-oh shook his head as his beak opened and closed of its own accord. "I…I…I only wanted to save our race. To bring peace to the earth."

"Is this peace?" Giratina hissed, motioning towards the bubbles that now floated in their midst. Each translucent sphere was a portal to battles in foreign lands on distant worlds. Pokémon of all types and sizes were on both sides. Some scenes held armies, composed entirely out of one kind of pokémon, slaughtering each other without mercy. Sound was not transmitted via these bubbles. Had they been, the screams of the dead and dying would have served as the soundtrack to this Hadean land.

"This…this isn't what I…I never wanted…" Ho-oh continued, rambling incoherently as he backed away from the bubbles until he reached the edge of the platform. His attempts at looking away were futile as another bubble waited for him at the end of his gaze — no matter which way he looked. Each one housed another reminder of the various horrors he had let loose upon the galaxy.

"Do you see now what you've done?" Giratina asked. As soon as he spoke, the bubbles vanished into the Stygian ether.

Ho-oh's body slumped as if his soul and bones had been removed. He lifted his head weakly, his tremulous stare holding the answer The Renegade had sought.

"Even if I had known...how…" Ho-oh swallowed hard, his eyes glassy as he willed his voice to sound even. "How was I supposed to simply let this injustice…" his voice cracked, eyes now scrunched tight for fear of letting loose any more tears.

Without warning, a column of energy tore through the miasma, harmlessly spearing through Giratina's ghostly body and carving out the platforms behind him. Both Legendaries directed their attention to the gaping tunnel left in the wake of the Hyper Beam. No sooner had the passage formed than the miasma began to close it off, nearly succeeding before the miasmic walls were shunted away with a deafening sonic boom.

An emerald blur darted across Ho-oh's field of vision, rushing past the Lord of the Reverse World's serpentine figure, but not before taking a piece of him with it. Blood sprayed from Giratina's neck, a significant portion of having been torn from him. Features gradually materialized as the green blur turned and stopped before the shocked sky guardian.

"Ho-oh, follow me! We have but little time before the portal to our world closes!" Rayquaza barked, holding a bloodied lump of meat in his claws.

Without waiting for confirmation, the Sentinel of the Jet Stream burst forward and created another sonic boom to part the purple seas before them. Ho-oh's body seemed to move of its own accord, the promise of freedom enticing it into action. Time slowed to a crawl once he took to the air; the sound of Giratina's body slumping into the dirt reverberated across the realm.

The renegade's eyes trailed him in his ascent towards freedom, a look of surprise gradually morphing into something darker and colder.

"_Freedom_?"

Ho-oh's flaps began to falter. Thanks to Giratina's weakened state, the surrounding miasma began to creep ever closer.

"_Should I leave this world_?"

Rayquaza glanced back, surprised to find the sky's guardian still hovering over the edge of the stony platform.

"_There is no freedom for me through that portal. And any future I have will be under Uxie's control_."

A familiar glow of psychic energy crept across the sentinel's scales and sealed his movements before he could even call out to his comrade.

"_Do I even entertain the horrors he will put me through to feed his perverted curiosity_?"

Several Metagross had joined Rayquaza's guide at the shrinking maw of the portal, reeling the dragon in as the wormhole began to convulse violently.

"_I must still be of some use to him if he's sent Rayquaza after me, but in the end it is my choice, isn't it_?"

The rays of light began to narrow and dim as the portal closed. Unable to completely hold Rayquaza, his psychic restraints weakened as he thrashed against them. Despite his efforts the psychic tethers held strong, and dragged the dragon completely into the other world.

"_Do I live out the rest of my existence as a tool for his ploys_?

A small figure emerged from the world of light, bobbing gently where Rayquaza had previously thrashed.

"_A stepping stone to further his goals_?"

Uxie held his post as the tunnel began to collapse around him. Despite his lack of physical sight, his gaze was directed towards the phoenix. His very presence seemed to taunt Ho-oh, his tranquil demeanor paradoxically goading him into action and inaction. Behind his mask of stoicism lay an aura of scientific curiosity, wondering what his former partner, now test subject, would do.

Ho-oh could only stare at the sprite as the seas of poison shut his last window of freedom. Once out of sight, the sprite slid back into his world, letting the portal wink out of existence.

"You could have left." Giratina coughed wetly, drawing the phoenix's attention back to his fallen form. Ho-oh briefly glanced at him with a rare, sober look, before quickly turning back to gaze off into the distance where the portal once hung.

"Yes, I could've. But here…here I can do no further harm to the world," Ho-oh said.

A weak and pitying smile crept at the corners of The Renegade's lips; the pooling blood beneath him inched across the stony platform.

"If this is your attempt at expiating your crimes, you will find the road to redemption most severe."

"I'm aware," Ho-oh said evenly, his gaze was transfixed on some far-off figure that only he could see.

"Unlike you, I will die and pass on." Giratina fixed his dimming gaze on Ho-oh. "But you, your blessing will quickly become your curse. You will be consumed by the miasma, die a slow and painful death, upon which you will be reduced to cinders and rise from the ashes, only to repeat the process again and again and again. _Forever_."

A nearly imperceptible wince wracked the phoenix's form with each repetition, a cloud of silence hung over as he did his best to meld steel into his words. "It is…but a fraction of the pain that I've put others through. I must accept the consequences of my actions, no matter the cost. If there's anything I may take solace in, it's that my suffering will end when there is peace once more."

"The conviction you hold may not be so strong when the pain begins. You may not be the same afterwards; you may even lose your mind."

"It's only fair. I should suffer for every ounce of miasma that I helped create."

Giratina coughed again. "You're…different."

"It's odd. One would think I would be wracked with grief and madness at my current dilemma. But for some reason I can't seem to summon it now. In some ways I can't help but feel that some of this makes sense. I believe the humans call it an epiphany. I...don't have the luxury of feeling dread and anger right now. I could, but there's not much point to it now. It would change nothing about my situation. There may be a time for those feelings later I suppose, but for now...now I can relish the sudden clarity in which I see things now."

Giratina was silent for a moment, studying the phoenix for a moment before speaking once more.

"Are you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Ho-oh mulled over the word for a few seconds, searching inside himself for the answer before he could respond. "Yes. Yes I believe a part of me is. There's certainly fear here. But not of death." The phoenix quickly amended, closing his eyes and breathing out slowly, his beak firm until it parted slightly when he continued once more. "I have lived and died several times over, enough to see that instance of darkness as more of a minor inconvenience. We of all pokémon should be well acquainted with suffering, considering the length of time we have lived. No, what I fear is the horrors I let loose on our brethren. I had set out to help our kind and in the process damned them all. I had feared that my crusade would fail, but now I see how small it stands before the weight of everything that I've unleashed," Ho-oh said.

"Do you regret what you've done to the humans?"

Ho-oh shook his head. "No. I stand by my decision. My only regret is that others had to suffer for my lack of foresight."

Giratina made something of a sound between a wheeze, a cough, and a laugh. The noise was enough to make Ho-oh open his eyes. The miasma now moved dangerously close to the fallen dragon, but whether its sudden proximity bothered him he did not show it.

The Renegade spoke softly now, the bite of anger and disappointment now gone from his voice.

"You and I...may be more alike than I thought," he whispered as the miasma overtook him, leaving Ho-oh to contend with the clouds now inches from his body. He forced the poison away with his presence, but keeping it up continuously would prove difficult as time dragged on.

"So this is it. Here for eternity."

Dread began to creep into the cracks in his armor as his doubts formed new ones to be filled. The enormity of his arduous task ahead was now beginning to weigh on him. He struggled to find something to brighten his future, but for the moment he could find none. With time, he hoped, he would find something positive about his exile.

A group of bubbles emerged from the purple mist, seemingly unfazed by the deadly gas that surrounded them. Each one a window to the world he had left behind. Ho-oh wasn't sure if he should even look upon them and torture himself further by reminding himself of what he'd given up. Yet, he knew himself well enough to know his insatiable curiosity would get the better of him and prompt him to look. A part of him needed to know how the world would fare without him. Being blind to its events did not suit him at all.

He looked expectantly into each sphere, finding scenes of tranquility and disaster beside each other. Seconds passed when he realized he had been looking for someone, and more so than that, someone he would recognize.

"When was the last time I let them know I cared?" The thought seemed to strike him like a thunderbolt, the vestiges of hope he had gathered were suffocated under a pall of infinite dread.

Images of his guardians, the closest things he had to children, flashed through his mind in rapid succession. Although many of his moments with them had been short and serious, there were times he could fondly look back upon and smile. Tears rode the length of Ho-oh's beak, the only noise left to sound in the reverse world were the muffled cries and breaths of its new guardian.

Ho-oh sighed as he began his final words, the miasma churned as it waited for his epitaph.

"Entei, you will need to be strong in my absence. Your brothers will need you to be strong for them. Raikou, you always looked to me for guidance, for answers. You will be lost, you will be frightened, but in time I hope you will look to yourself for direction and guidance. You may stumble, and you may fall, but your brothers will always be there for you, to lift you up and carry you until you can stand on your own. Suicune," Ho-oh managed to choke out, irritated at his own inability to compose. "You were always so reserved. Always so quiet. You might handle this better than both of your brothers. Each of you have ever only had each other, and you will all need each other now more than ever."

Ho-oh's energy waned to weaken, his heartbeat quickening with every meter the umbral mist successfully reconquered.

"I'm sorry Lugia, for everything you are about to face," Ho-oh sighed and closed his eyes as tears dripped down his beak. Within moments he would feel the icy sting and then numbness as the black fog gradually began to swallow him.

* * *

><p><strong>Genesis Chamber - Sinnoh Region<strong>

"Why did you drag me back?" Rayquaza roared. His tail thrashed back and forth as his body coiled in the air.

"Portal was collapsing. Could not risk your subtraction from equation. Do not understand why Ho-oh decided to stay. Had to make choice. Weighed variables. Your presence necessary for continued success of Ho-oh's plan. However, all is not lost. Successful completion of mission will allow for repeated attempt at opening portal to distortion world," Uxie replied, levitating the bloodied hunk of muscle cradled in the dragon's claw.

Golden irises silently trailed the bloodied spoils of his venture into the Reverse World. The exchange between psychic hands happened wordlessly as Uxie sliced off a small segment of it and gave the rest to a Metagross who promptly teleported to an unknown destination.

To be able to carry out his decisions so callously must have required an incredible degree of will and foresight — or the intellect and logical thinking of a world-class scientist melded with the sociopathic mindset of a serial killer. The more time he spent with Uxie, the more Rayquaza was unsure whether or not to admire or be horrified at the sprite before him.

Despite his methods, Rayquaza could not deny Uxie evidently carried Ho-oh's will to some degree. He imagined the choice must have been difficult, but he could only imagine that Ho-oh would've done the same had the roles had been reversed.

A surge of guilt had started to well up at the pit of his stomach. No matter how he justified it to himself, he could not deny that he had left their leader to be trapped in the other world.

"_Stay strong Ho-oh. Uxie and I will have you free before you know it_," Rayquaza mentally recited, knowing that dwelling on the past would not bring Ho-oh any closer to freedom.

"What do we tell the others?" the Sentinel of the Jet Stream asked, turning to the All-Knowing.

"Others shall be informed. However, ill advised to allow news of Ho-oh's current absence venture past those with Legendary status. Should Mesprit and human-allied Legendaries learn of this, probability of attack will increase. Ho-oh is symbol for our cause, as such we must treat situation though as if Ho-oh had not been captured. Recommend we continue to refer to group as Ho-oh's army for sake of morale. Will temporarily assume burden of command until Ho-oh is liberated and relieves me of this role," Uxie replied.

"Very well, Uxie. I shall continue my earlier tasks. Please work swiftly to free him."

"Certainly," Uxie replied, nodding to one of the Alakazam who approached the emerald dragon and teleported him out of the chamber.

Within seconds of his absence, shards of glass rained across the chamber as each mirror was telekinetically shattered. The pieces never touched the ground as a group of Alakazam collected and teleported them away. Alakalossal watched it happen, silently wondering why they were being destroyed before realizing what had happened.

"The mirrors were never necessary for the genesis chamber. Their only purpose was to grab Giratina's attention," Alakalossal said, not so much as asking a question as he was speaking his mind.

"Correct. Giratina's only window into our world through reflective surfaces. Needed to create a substantial amount of mediums to draw him in," Uxie replied, humoring the psi giant at his point.

"So, you wanted Giratina to capture Ho-oh?"

"Knew Giratina for a considerable length of time. Able to predict actions based on personality."

"But my lord, why involve him at all?"

Uxie continued without skipping a beat. "Probability of future interference was high. Needed to subtract him from the equation if future experiments were to proceed efficiently."

"No one can kill you unless they plan to eliminate all intelligence," Alakalossal murmured, wracking his brain to connect what Uxie was getting at. It was only after a few seconds of processing that it came to him, other questions he'd had being answered in the process. "He is one of the few entities that would've been a threat; he could've sealed you away to his world." The realization dawned upon him with every word he spoke.

Uxie gave a small nod. "Yes. Inability to interact with resources and coordinate with team would effectively end Ho-oh's campaign and my experiments prematurely."

Alakalossal nodded. "Your entire conversation with Ho-oh here…he never needed to know what you intended for him. Giratina was your intended audience the entire time."

"Ho-oh made excellent figurehead. Explaining things in a particular order allows the allocation of blame to easily shift to him."

"And Rayquaza—"

"Faster than Giratina. Dragon typing and speed would allow for optimal chance of landing critical damage to him and obtaining a DNA sample," Uxie replied, cutting off Alakalossal's question.

The giant Psi's eyes widened. "You're going to clone him! The only thing capable of stopping you is now under your control!"

"Would not use term 'only'. Other methods to seal me exist. Probability of being utilized against me is minimal. However, will tend to those other methods in due time," Uxie replied, heading towards one of the terminals to log Giratina's genetic code into the system. A shiver went down the psychic titan's spine as the sprite floated away. A mixture of admiration and fear filled him as he realized his master had played his part perfectly, pulling the appropriate strings to seize the best possible position in this situation. There was now little to nothing that could stop him, and that which could would be dealt with swiftly and mercilously before it even realized it could even prove to be a nuisance to him.

The universe demanded diversity, and Uxie would make sure to catalogue it before he was forced to subtract from his equation.

* * *

><p><strong>I've been waiting to get to this part for a while. Over the years I've had so many people repeatedly tell me how much they wanted me to get rid of Ho-oh. So now, there you go. For those of you who wanted it, I hope this sates you. Because now, now you'll simply have to deal with the one who's taken his place, and he's not going anywhere.<br>**


	9. We Can Rebuild Them

**Uxie: Congratulations homo sapian readers for surviving another Heliocycle**

**Surge: Yeah yeah yeah, so the babies made it another year, so what?**

**Samurai: Ehem, Happy New Years to all of you. Remember, we are being allowed to introduce this chapter for the readers.**

**Banette: What's to introduce? Cornova got fuckin lazy and copypastaed a chapter.**

**Uxie: Incorrect. Cornova made several minor edits to chapter to maintain consistency with current works. Narrative is now ordered in chronological manner. **

**Banette: Whoop de doo**

**Cacturne: Be nice Bane**

**Banette: Or what? He already killed me once, he won't do it again.**

**Surge: ...I wouldn't put it past him**

**Uxie: Taunting is an ill advised course of action**

**Banette: What're we doing this for anyway?**

**Samurai: Cornova has wanted to do something like this for a while, and this appeared to be an appropriate moment**

**Surge: So basically, since he's giving us an old chapter again, he wants to do something to spice it up**

**Banette: Lame. So great, are we done?**

**Cacturne: Almost. **

**Uxie: Cornova has amended a previous instruction that came from a Xatu to Latias in Alto Mare. Rather than single lunar cycle-**

**Banette: A what?**

**Cacturne: A month.**

**Uxie: Correct. New instruction will instead read as half a lunar cycle. **

**Banette: Would it kill him to speak normally?**

**Surge: Hold on, do we get to keep any of this intel when we go back to our respective areas?**

**Samurai: Doubtful. Our memories of all of this will most likely be wiped.**

**Cacturne: Oh well, guess there's no helping it. **

**Banette: This doesn't count as Cornova's chapter for this month right?**

**Cacturne: No, Bane, it doesn't. He's gonna try to update again this month. He wants to make up for being inconsistent these last few months. **

**Uxie: Inefficient and inconsistent work ethic.**

**Samurai: I would give him a break. He did recently get engaged.**

**Surge: Ya don't say! Ha! That sounds like a party.**

**Samurai: You always find a reason to drink.**

**Uxie: High probability off Mesprit receiving dopamine release at news of this.**

**Banette: See! Even Cornova's getting hitched. You know who might also want to tie the grass knot?**

**Cacturne: Don't even start.**

**Uxie: Within same egg group. Viable pollination candidate. Have yet to study effects of undampening on intercourse. **

**Cacturne: Oh Arceus no...**

* * *

><p><strong>August 27 – Tree of Beginning<strong>

* * *

><p>All of the Legendaries were gathered inside their lithic citadel for what seemed like the hundredth time. It had been the same topic once again: why had this war started and what to do with the single orb of creation they possessed. This time there had been a dash of human psychology thrown in.<p>

"Maybe we should focus on why this happened," Cresselia said. A majority of the group began to groan at the revival of the topic.

"The humans pissed Ho-oh off, what's there to focus on?" Groudon grumbled.

"Yes, but we need to look past that, look deeper into its meaning. We cannot do anything about the way the humans consume resources, but maybe we can build a new perspective of the humans that will allow us to shed light on how to use the orb of creation."

"Ho-oh's anger stems from the destruction of his tower when the humans attempted to capture him," Lugia said.

"Exactly, maybe if we look into this, it will help us-"

Darkrai cut Cresselia off with a very loud sigh. Her positive, motherly attitude was beginning to wear on everyone's nerves. Darkrai and his kin's actions had occasionally caused humans to go through a similar process with another human; known as "psychiatrists". Now he began to empathize with their suffering.

His hand seemed attached his forehead as if to quell an upcoming headache. Lugia did not blame him; he too was beginning to grow tired of the unending arguments. Their debates had gone on for over a week now, with no sign of reaching a compromise regarding how to use the final orb of creation.

Mew began to sleep through the meetings now, only to be rudely awakened when the debates inevitably devolved into shouting matches. Cresselia and Darkrai agreed to stay far enough away from Mew so as not to affect him.

The Regi Trio showed no signs of annoyance; not once had they offered their opinions and thoughts on the subject since the first meeting. As long as it did not involve the Tree of Beginning, they remained motionless and mute.

Silver and his mother had been allowed to join the meetings with Silver usually staying close to Latias. Mesprit appeared to be sleeping in the corner but in actuality, she had spent several days surveying the status of the world via astral projection, leaving her body in the care of the others; Lugia could not help but expect the worse.

"What compelled the humans to feel the need to begin capturing Pokémon?" Cresselia asked. It was a difficult question; none of the Legendaries had ever given the idea much thought.

"Surely they did not capture us for the sole reason that we are there!" she added with a frown. The silence in the chamber irked her as it made it feel like no one cared.

"Humans are conquerors; whether it with is Pokémon or with each other. There is always the attempt to make one serve under the other, to show their dominance through strength or intelligence, whether it be business or battling with Pokémon," Darkrai said. Out of the Legendaries, he and Cresselia had the most experience interacting with humans.

"But why the need for violence?" Latias interjected.

"Violence has been a central part of their race for as long as they can remember," Articuno added.

"They are experiencing a time of peace, though. It has been decades if not centuries since the humans have last gone to war against each other. It is during these times of peace that their advancement in technology has skyrocketed," Moltres said.

"Especially their capturing devices," Zapdos added bitterly.

"Their focus during these times of peace has gone more into capturing us than their own self-destructive ways."

As the Legendaries listened to Moltres's statement, they began to acknowledge Cresselia's observation.

"Could it be that the humans, from an early age, tame their violent nature by utilizing us in battles under the guise of sport? That way, once they have reached adulthood, they no longer have these aggressive tendencies?" Silver's mother said.

"That might be it," Cresselia replied. She smiled, feeling that they were beginning to get somewhere and that her hopes would be answered.

"This conversation is pointless," Zapdos sighed.

"I find it interesting!" Moltres snapped. She then turned to Articuno. "Don't you sister?" she asked.

"I really don't care," Articuno earnestly replied.

"You two are unbelievable! Here we are, possibly at the brink of finding an answer to all of this and you two have to go and say something stupid!" The Firebird hissed, glaring at her siblings.

"Aside from this conversation, if anything is stupid, that would be you my _dear_ sister," Zapdos spat.

Having his Legendary Birds in the same room proved to be fatal mistake; they seemed to be physically incapable of agreeing on anything. The sky could be blue to one, azure to the other, and cerulean to the third, and they would not budge from their decision.

Groudon's presence did not make things easier, forcing everyone to take a recess every half hour lest the heat radiated from his body roast them alive. They had tried placing Regice and Articuno near him to cancel the heat, but the effort proved futile. Worse of all, escaping the heat by going outside was just as bad as the ferocious summer sun baked the stony landscape.

Fights had nearly broken out within the chamber before with Mesprit having to intervene several times. Lugia only hoped that a fight did not break out in her absence. There had been talk getting another orb of creation. When discussions of that occurred, Lugia felt it necessary to let them know that one method was possible.

Anyone who was created by an orb of creation could have their orb of creation removed by their creator as long as they had consented to give it up. As Arceus – the Creator of All – had created most of the Legendaries from an orb of creation, only he could remove them. The Legendaries could not will themselves to be unmade and surrender their orb of creation to the others.

Arceus had proven impossible to contact; his participation in the war – either against or for humanity – was doubtful. Groudon would have to unmake all the continents to procure one orb of creation; the idea was automatically out of the question.

The information that Lugia provided only added fuel to the flames of their arguments. Once Lugia had finished explaining, everyone's sights had converged upon his Legendary Birds and the Regi Trio. The Legendary Birds instantly noticed the sudden shift in attention; in contrast, the Regi Trio showed no sign of noticing or for that matter, any sign that they were awake.

The argument suddenly became one of whether or not Regigigas and Lugia's creations were willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of humanity. Tensions rose, the atmosphere rapidly becoming uncomfortable.

"So you're willing to fight and die for the humans, but not give up yer lives to possibly save the humans?" Groudon asked.

"I feel that I could be of better use if I were still alive," Articuno replied, her brother and sister nodding in agreement.

"What of the Regis? They stand here like statues, speechless and motionless. They do not sleep, they do not eat, are they even truly alive? They serve no purpose other than to guard this place, a role that can be easily replaced. Would anything change if they were to stop existing?" Zapdos asked, redirecting attention to Regigigas and his golems, the latter saying nothing in their defense.

"He makes a valid point," Groudon added. Regigigas' dots flared crimson, his friend's comment tantamount to betrayal. Regigigas shifted his attention back at Zapdos, pointing a large pale finger at him.

"Mind your tongue, bird!" Regigigas thundered. "My golems have proven to be more useful than all of you! I demand a battle to see who is more worthy of existence! The end result will leave us with creation orbs." The others did not know that the Mover of Continent's creations were, in a sense, immortal.

Arcs of electricity danced along the Master of Lighting's body as he glared at Regigigas.

"Cease this at once! Had I known this information would bring about this reaction I would have kept silent! Now is not the time to fight amongst each other; this will only contribute to Ho-oh's cause!" Lugia shouted, immediately ending the impending battle between Zapdos and Regigigas. He had taken to the center of the room, directly above the orb of creation.

"What of your opinion of this, Lugia? Would you be willing to give up one of your 'precious' creations?" Regigigas asked.

"You know my answer well, Regigigas. I created them, saved them from death eternal, and only I have the power to undo their existence if I ever choose," Lugia said. He glanced over at his creations. Moltres gave a worried glance back at him; Articuno's reaction was of worry and pain; Zapdos glared at Lugia as if already expecting his betrayal.

"They are not perfect; none of us are," Lugia continued. "But I stand by my decision and refuse to unmake them. It is not my decision alone; the choice also rests with them. I would appreciate if you did not pressure them into deciding by showering them with guilt. We have yet to even decide what to do with a single orb of creation, let alone several. If worst comes to worst, a decision can be made; until then let us focus on the matter at hand."

Regigigas crossed his arms and gave his version of a nod; he refused to unmake his creations. The Regi Trio being the closest thing to children for him. Silver beamed with pride at the sight of his father being the mediator.

Mesprit suddenly stirred in the corner of the room, her spirit reuniting with her body. "Please tell me, you've come to a decision," Mesprit said. She seemed visibly shaken.

The Legendaries instantly avoided eye contact when she looked to them. The action said more than any words they could have chosen.

"You haven't decided yet!" Mesprit screeched.

"How bad is it out there?" Latias asked.

"Bad? Bad! 'Bad' doesn't even begin to describe it! No words have been created to…no words seem strong enough to…to…ARRGGH!" Mesprit screamed, holding her head in her hands as she gently floated to the floor.

Lugia could only imagine what horrors Mesprit had witnessed.

"While you're all comfortably arguing here, everyone else is dying. It's not just humans. Ho-oh's plan has gotten out of control!"

"What do you mean?" Silver's mother asked.

"It seems like every poison Pokémon has their own agenda. They don't care who they hurt. The Muk are destroying everything in their path, nature, Pokémon, humans, and their creations included. Their very presence poisons the earth. Once they touch a piece of land, nothing will ever grow there for years! Every breath makes the air toxic, and if they reach the sea…" Mesprit trailed off, shuddering at the unimaginable disaster that would unfold if they did reach the ocean. She finally regained her composure. "I can't see how this fits into Ho-oh's plan of helping the environment!" she exclaimed.

Darkrai was going to comment how Muk thrived in places of waste and sludge; an invention of humanity, but decided that this was an inappropriate time.

"The Beedrill have become mindless drones; they're killing anything that comes near their ever expanding hives. Zubats have become bloodthirsty and as long as something has blood, they don't care who they kill and that's not even the worse of it all," Mesprit continued, a list of other Pokemon already formed in her head. She was on the brink of tears; the Legendaries staying silent. They were too horrified at the ecological apocalypse unfolding before them.

"Entei's been destroying entire cities to the southeast of the region. He's trying to find a method that works fastest for killing every human and leveling any standing human structure in the area," Mesprit said. Her teeth were gritted together in rage as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

All the Legendaries gaped in horror at what the pink sprite revealed. They had no words to describe the carnage she had described.

"…and I had to **_watch it happen_**!" Mesprit shouted, her voice finally cracking as she broke down into tears.

Latias and Darkrai instantly worried for the safety of their own prospective cities, but felt it rude to ask about them at the moment. Latias's empathetic ability began to work against her, her eyes starting to shimmer.

Mesprit took notice and wiped away a tear, her pink and puffy eyes staring atDarkrai. "I took the liberty of checking Alamos Town as well as Ogi and Shamouti Island. They're safe for the time being," she said.

Lugia released a breath he had been holding; Darkrai visibly relaxed his shoulders and closed his eye.

"I'm…sorry. I'm letting myself get so emotional…it's just that…that…" Mesprit took a deep breath, unable to finish her sentence.

"It's quite all right Mesprit. We understand entirely," Cresselia said with such tenderness one would think she were the sprite's mother.

"You didn't have to see them…you didn't have to hear them… _scream_…" Mesprit continued as if she hadn't heard them. Her golden eyes widened in fear as she saw ghosts of burning buildings and horribly maimed people appear before her eyes; the screams of the wounded and the crying of humans searching for their loved ones echoed in her ears. Tears flowed once more as the Spirit of Emotion tried to remove the horrifying images and sounds from her mind.

"Mesprit…If you need some time alone we un-" Lugia said..

"No! You need to hear this, you need to know! You weren't there! If hearing this helps hasten your decision, so be it. I refuse to venture out into the world again! It's too…too…" Mesprit was at a loss for words to describe everything she had seen as a whole.

"You mentioned Entei, but what of Suicune and Raikou?" Articuno asked.

"Suicune is traveling throughout the northern part of the Johto region, he's wiping out humans and any Pokémon they might have with them. He's leaving the settlements intact so that Entei can clean up after him. Raikou seems to have been moved from Johto to Sinnoh, though as to why I couldn't tell you."

"From the looks of it, I would say that the Johto region has gotten the worst of it, seeing as Ho-oh had all three of his dogs working on it," Moltres said.

"I don't know if I could say one region has it worse than the others," Mesprit corrected.

"Did you happen to see Ho-oh and Mewtwo? Kyogre? Rayquaza?" Groudon asked.

"I saw Rayquaza. He was up in the ozone layer and firing at something, I don't know what though," Mesprit replied.

Mew began to wake at the mention of Mewtwo, reading all the nearby minds to quickly catch up on the conversation.

"What of my brother?" Lugia asked. He was starting to feel guilty for adding to the barrage of questions that assaulted the Creator of Emotion.

"I didn't see him either. He could be in the seas; I didn't search all of them.

"I guess from what we've heard, we can guess that Ho-oh's base of operations would be in Johto," Zapdos said.

"That's not entirely true. Ho-oh is not restricted to a single location and could have multiple bases – possibly in different regions," Regigigas replied.

"A luxury that we do not have," Groudon added.

"Do the humans have any safe places?" Mew chirped, gaining the attention of the conference once again.

"Aside from the places I specifically checked and mentioned before, I haven't seen anywhere that the wild Pokémon haven't reached." Mespirt said.

"It seems reasonable to assume that islands seem to be safe," Moltres said.

"Sorry to rain on your parade, but I wouldn't count on it. Kyogre would love nothing more than to wipe any part of my territory off the face of the earth since he knows he can get away with it now. Those islands are living off borrowed time," Groudon replied.

"Have the humans shown any sign of retaliating?" Articuno asked.

"The humans were hit hard by this sudden attack; they're completely disorganized and scattered. They don't have time to consider retaliation because they're too busy trying to stay alive. I saw so little humans and so much death and destruction. I'm not like my bastard brother Uxie, so I'm not great at math, but at least I know that the death toll is in the billions.

The numbers hit every Legendary in the room like a Giga Impact to the gut. Whether or not they truly cared for the humans, the sheer amount of death in ten days was staggering. Everyone in the room grew silent; each of them was affected by the news differently. Mesprit seemed to have finally calmed down and kept her emotions in check. And she decided to continue speaking.

"The few surviving humans had strong Pokémon, solid bonds between them, but they themselves can only hold out for so long. They wander the lands in search of provisions, other survivors, and a safe shelter, all of those now scarce. I have seen some humans survive with only one Pokémon, or no Pokémon at all and relying on their skills alone," she continued.

"Alone!" Groudon replied in disbelief, his brow raised in skepticism. He now had to give the humans some credit.

"Yes. They carry with them effective tools and weapons to fend off almost anything that comes at them. On rare occasions, I found humans gifted with remarkable psychic abilities – for humans at least – but compared to most Pokémon, human bodies are still fragile. They do not have the stamina or strength that the most basic wild Pokémon possesses. They need to consume food frequently and require larger quantities of nourishment than Pokémon do, the same with sleep. I've seen several humans travel in groups, and although it provides more protection, it puts a strain on the group itself for having to find provisions for themselves, and their Pokémon. They will not hold out for much longer against the undampened Pokémon."

"How can humans possess psychic abilities?" Cresselia's asked.

"I don't know. It could be a mutation, or a defect that possibly made their dampeners similar to a psychic Pokémon, so much so that Ho-oh's wish caused them to unlock like the wild Pokemon," Mesprit replied.

Mew scratched his head in bewilderment. "Humans have dampeners?" he asked. Granted, it was news to nearly everyone around him but he was the only one to vocalize it.

"I would assume so, they may not be as large as those of Pokémon and Ho-oh's wish specifically targeted Pokémon. But psychic humans were a loophole in that wish."

"What if we were to remove the dampeners of the humans?" Darkrai asked.

"They…might possibly go through the same sensations the Pokémon felt. Increased speed, strength, stamina, endurance, and so on," Lugia replied.

"But that would also mean that they might go through a murderous tantrum we felt when our dampeners were removed" Regigigas added.

Lugia frowned. "If that is the case, then their already low numbers may decrease even further," he said.

"Ho-oh may have not considered this; removing their dampeners might be the humans' only hope of survival," Darkrai proposed.

"At what cost? This would affect every surviving human! And what of the rampage that we went through when our dampeners were removed?" Mew said.

The Legendaries continued to argue back and forth over issue of undampened humans. Some argued for it, saying it was humanity's only hope for survival; others argued against it, saying that removing the dampeners would decrease their numbers even further and play right into Ho-oh's plans.

Zapdos remained silent. "_Humans are conquerors; whether it with is Pokémon or with each other_. _Violence has been a central part of their race for as long as they can remember_," Articuno and Darkai's words from early in the meeting echoed within the Master of Lighting's head.

"Can none of you consider the ramifications of actually going through with this decision? The consequences!" Zapdos thundered over the voices debating across the room.

"Consequences?" Latias asked. She wondered exactly what the consequences of undampened humans would be.

"If these humans survive all of this; if this war is ever over; what is to be of us under the reign of these…these…super-humans that we've created!"

The room grew silent, no one had considered what the fate of the world and its inhabitants – human and Pokémon alike – would be if the war over. The prospect seemed so far away they hadn't bothered to talk about it. What could come of this war if the humans won?

The removal of the dampeners was completely irreversible.

The silence was stifling as each Legendary recalled the words of Articuno and Darkrai: humans were warriors and conquerors.

Would the humans become hateful towards Pokémon-kind for all the death and destruction they had caused? It was foolish to think that humans would try coexisting peacefully with Pokémon after their near extermination at the hands of Pokémon-kind. Lugia doubted the humans would ever trust Pokémon again after this entire affair. Would it be the end of one war and the start of another one?

"Who says we have to make the change permanent? We could make it so the humans are undampened until the war is over," Moltres suggested, breaking the awkward silence.

"And how long would that take sister? How do we know this will only stop at one war?" Zapdos countered.

Despite the fact that the other Legendaries did not have the highest opinion of Zapdos; it was hard to refute the Master of Lightning's logic.

"This world will have no future if Ho-oh is allowed to do as he pleases! The world will be a barren wasteland if the wild Pokémon are allowed to rampage and if the humans continue to die while we do nothing!" Mesprit screamed.

Lugia thought about what Arcticuno and Darkrai said. But he also kept what Mesprit had discovered on her recon mission in mind. He was silent for a few minutes as he thought about his choices. After an awkward silence, he spoke. "She's right, Zapdos. I'm sorry, but if this is allowed to continue there will be no future for any of us. The best we can do is work with the humans to build a future where we can coexist peacefully. It will not and cannot be like before the war; we can no longer watch complacently as the humans do as they please. We must ensure that a disaster of this magnitude never occurs again. We must work with the humans and that is only possible if they survive this," Lugia said, glancing at the gathered Legendaries of the room. Zapdos fumed silently as his argument was completely shot down by Mesprit's response.

"Let us settle this as humans do and put it to a vote," Darkrai said, raising his arm and scanning the room for the other Legendaries' responses.

Within a few minutes, the majority had voted to go through with the wish.

"It is decided then," Lugia said. He turned to face the orb of creation in the center of the room. He would have to pick his words carefully to avoid inadvertently making the dampener removal permanent or giving Ho-oh a loophole he could exploit. Most importantly, he had to ensure that the humans did not go through the painful spasms that the Pokémon had gone through; their change would be gradual and painless. But eventually, the humans would become stronger, smarter, and faster. They would see farther, run longer, and master anything they put their mind to.

Humanity had one choice: to try and survive and live with the Legendaries' blessing.

* * *

><p><strong>Next, Chapter 10: En Garde<strong>


	10. En Garde

**Hey guys, it's been a while. A lot's happened while I've been out. So just a few updates before you start the final chapter of the second legendary arc. **

**TheImmortalWanderer has made a poke wars role playing forum and has my total support. It looks like a lot of fun and we'd love to see you guys join in. **

**Jantanner has finished his poke wars story Poke Wars: Start of Chaos which has really helped me handle characters that I don't have time to deal with now. The effects of the events in the climactic finish of his story will continue into my next Kanto arc, The Convalescence. So if you don't wanna get lost on why certain things are happening, give it a look and leave a review if you can. Jantanner has also started a new Poke wars addition, Amidst Chaos, and is set 6 years after the undampening. I really enjoyed it and I hope you guys do as well, so please give it some love when you have time.  
><strong>

**Noaj-T is also reaching the end of his poke wars story and for those of you who've been keeping up with it will recognize one of his characters in this chapter and possibly a more prominent role. I plan on going back to work on the Truculence after this, which will also begin to eventually feature Kanta and his motley crew of characters and the events in his story will affect Paul and Gary's journey as well. **

**Zarrelion has really done an excellent job on this last chapter and I'm happy to have him beta for me after all of this time. **

**And last but not least, the idea for this chapter came from a reader who I want to thank immensely. I kinda feel dumb for not seeing this idea but thanks to HelloMyNameIsName this chapter came to be. Thank you so much for your contribution and thank all of you guys for sticking with me for so long and your own contributions to this universe. I honestly never thought this story would get much attention, and it still baffles sometimes me to see it grow like this . And now, without further ado, the chapter. **

* * *

><p><strong>758 Years Ago – Johto Region<strong>

Every flap of Lugia's wings blew a gust of wind through the forest, the obsidian sea of leaves shifting and undulating as he flew over. Several hours had gone by since he'd taken to the night sky. Darkness shrouded the alien world, giving this mysterious place an unfamiliar and unwelcoming aura. His eyes frantically scanned the area; whispers of doubt chipped away at his resolve.

"I'm sure he told me to take this path," Lugia muttered, studying the foreign terrain for any recognizable marker, to no avail. The silver Legendary sighed and continued onward, figuring he would reach something eventually and ask for guidance from there. A quick psychic scan revealed no woodland denizens to help him.

It wasn't until he'd crossed several acres of forest that a wave of relief soon hit him. The soft silhouette of a tower came into view, silently looming over the woods. Lugia reduced his speed until he hung at the edge of the forest, silently marveling at the tower.

"So this is the place he keeps talking about," he murmured, casting a passing glance at the wooden houses before rocketing skywards, his incredible velocity rendering the floors a mere blur. Mere seconds later, he was confronted with pair of doors — fashioned not to accommodate the small human frame, but the colossal frame of a Legendary. His eyes flashed blue and the great iron hinges creaked as if invisible footmen were muscling open the massive wood and iron door. As he entered, he was met by Stygian darkness.

"Ho-oh." Lugia spoke into the shadows, letting silence reign for a few moments before he called out again.

"Lugia?" A familiar, but weary, voice spoke back to him through the blackness that filled the air. The ocean guardian's eyes glowed, emitting a white light that was quickly swallowed by the blackness. Ho-oh quickly spat out a series of embers, each drifting like motes of dust until they landed on their respective torch, illuminating the rest of his chamber.

"What brings you here, old friend?"

Lugia was in the midst of answering him as the darkness lifted and let him gaze upon his oldest friend. Despite the lack of any visible damage, Ho-oh's feathers were scuffed and dull as though he'd seen combat. A haggard look had taken residence in his eyes; even the deflated way he carried himself radiated mental and spiritual — if not physical — exhaustion.

"I…have you seen my brother?"

Ho-oh looked away, evidently putting the pieces together in his mind. "I take he did not approve of your decision then. Did you tell him of my offer?"

Lugia let out a sight. "I did…or at least I tried. He was so…angry, I couldn't reason with him."

"It may take time for him to calm down. Wait until he does, and maybe then you could present to him the offer anew. But surely you would have come to this conclusion yourself? Why come to me?"

"He left the seas and took to the mainland. I came to know if you'd seen him or had any ideas as to where to find him. You know these lands much better than I would."

"Your guess is as good as mine. I'm sorry old friend, but I haven't the faintest idea where your brother might be. He could be nearby or in an unexplored region in the farthest reaches of the world. If I hear or see anything, you will be the first to know," Ho-oh replied.

Lugia nodded calmly; having kept his hopes low in the likely event his friend had nothing to tell him. Searching for him in darkness would get him nowhere and any possible trail he would have left would've gone cold by morning. His best bet was to wait and see how things played out from there.

But first he would have to contend with whatever was eating away at the sky's guardian. "Ho-oh, I don't have to be a psychic to tell that something happened to you."

Ho-oh gave a hollow chuckle, shifting uncomfortably atop his wooden perch. "Recent events in my last outing have…shaken me, I'm afraid." The centuries if not millennia that he had lived through become apparent in his voice and features.

"What happened?" Lugia asked, knowing that if his own issues could not be solved tonight, he could at least attempt to solve the ones his friend was dealing with.

"I found a human settlement in a neighboring region. The humans there called it Pokélantis. It was fairly impressive in terms of size and structure, but what I saw there…" Ho-oh's voice faltered, clearly uneasy about his next words.

"What did you see?" the Guardian of the Sea asked.

A shudder ran through Ho-oh before he composed himself and continued. "…They were enslaving our kind, Lugia. Beating and torturing them until they were servile. I imagine that once they were broken, they did whatever they were told to avoid any more pain. Once those humans saw me…I knew they wanted to do the same. They set their captives against me from stone spheres, they…" Ho-oh failed to suppress a shudder before he continued. "My status, my presence as a Legendary, it meant nothing to either of them! I implored the creatures to stop, to join me and to put a stop to this barbaric ritual but they took no heed to my words. And their eyes! Arceus, their eyes! They were shells of creatures, Lugia! Shells!" the phoenix cried, the spike in the room's temperature mirroring the flames of despair and anguish that flared within the Sky Guardian.

"What did you do?"

Ho-oh averted his gaze and closed his eyes. He opened his beak and then shut it a few times. An uncomfortable silence reigned for a seeming eternity until Ho-oh broke the terrible stillness with three simple words. "I…I killed them."

Lugia was about to say something but the phoenix continued.

"I burnt them to cinders! No remains, just ashes! They…they didn't even scream! I've been telling myself it was a mercy killing! That there was no way to save them! But what if I was wrong? What if there had been a way to help them?" The words poured out of the Sky Guardian's beak like the lethal rivers of roiling flames that he had used to condemn his attackers to death.

When Ho-oh finished ranting, Lugia spoke. "You handled it the best way you could at the time." It was little more than an insipid platitude but what else could the Beast of the Sea say?

"Would you have done the same?!" Ho-oh cried, the flickering light of the torches revealed his bloodshot eyes and his voice taking on a high, maniacal tone.

"I…" the sea guardian's voice faltered, unsure of how to answer. There were so many things to consider if he had been put into that very same situation. His momentary pause however, was all the answer Ho-oh needed, his gaze thrown somberly to the darkest corner of the room.

"Ho-oh, had I your powers, I might have done the same thing. I cannot judge you for using what you have. Your powers…they—"

"—only destroy," the phoenix interjected, keeping his focus trained on shadows. The bitterness and hate in his voice was nearly palpable.

"Ho-oh!" Lugia exclaimed in a voice partway between scolding and shock.

That did it. Again, the flames of emotion overtook the Guardian of the Skies. "But it's true! Their human mystics brought out a stone sphere. They meant to capture me and do the same as they had done with their slaves! So I bathed them in flame as well! They screamed. They screamed and screamed, and what's worse, I felt no remorse for the pain I was put them through! Their leader sent his fighters after me, so I smote them on the spot with my fire!"

Lugia's expression remained neutral; his friend's actions were not as monstrous as he was making them out to be. The train of thought behind his actions could be followed and even justified.

"But I didn't stop with just them." The tone in Ho-oh's voice made the blood from Lugia's face drain. He had hoped that his friend was simply being melodramatic, but the iciness of his voice dashed any and all hopes of that.

"What happened?" Lugia asked, already knowing that he might regret posing this question.

Ho-oh shuddered as he opened his beak once more as he prepared to confess the sordid details of his deed to his friend. "Once I finished with the men, I…I went after the females and their offspring. I made sure none of them escaped the city. I razed the city until there was nothing but a smoldering patch of land, mixed with the ashes of the guilty and innocent alike. I burnt the innocent ones, Lugia. They too were condemned to the flames: men, women, children — anyone in the city. I wanted them to suffer just as much as those that had committed the acts." His voice then became more frantic. "They let it happen! They lived their comfortable lives off the deaths and suffering of others! It is what they deserve for—"

"But it's over now," Lugia said, cutting off the rest of Ho-oh's rant. Though his face remained calm, inwardly he was aghast. His friend had just admitted to massacring innocents and razing their home. He said nothing but let the sound of Ho-oh's breathing fill the silent room.

"Is it? I've heard of similar events occurring in another human settlement. Using our kind as weapons against other humans and sealing them into objects until they're needed again. What if this concept spreads throughout the other humans?"

"Ho-oh, we cannot condemn the entire tree for one batch of spoiled fruit."

Ho-oh silently stared into the sea guardian's eyes for a moment and sighed, dipping his beak towards the wooden floors. "You are right, Lugia. I…I suppose I simply fear the frequency of these acts among their kind. They are a kind and smart species. They can go so far. This trend will stunt them, taint their good nature."

Lugia nodded in agreement. "I know. And while I don't entirely agree with what you did to that city and its inhabitants, I understand why you did it. I cannot judge you on your actions. For all I know you may have stopped greater suffering by doing what you did."

Ho-oh averted his gaze as he let out a sigh. "I'm not proud of it. I'm ashamed that I let my anger and fear take over. Their complacency towards it was…off-putting to say the least. I haven't been able to look at my worshippers since that day."

"That's understandable considering what you've been through. Give it time, old friend. Rest and let this nightmare fade from your memory," Lugia said as he made his way towards the exit of the tower.

"Yes. Hopefully with time," Ho-oh added, watching his silver companion preparing to take to the air. Just before Lugia took off, he spoke. "Is she happy?"

"Hmm?" Lugia asked.

"Your mate, is she happy?"

Lugia, caught in a moment of deep thought, silently peered down at the human dwellings before the tower. "Yes," he replied, leaping from the precipice and entering freefall for a few seconds before he silently glided into the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>Present day: August 30th – Tree Of Beginning<strong>

"What're you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Lugia turned, finding his life-mate moving towards him. She arched her neck and nuzzled against him, slipping her wings around his own.

"I don't have to read your mind to know something's wrong," she whispered, reveling in the warmth of his body against her own.

"I can never hide anything from you, can I?" Lugia chuckled.

"No, you can't!" She smiled, her reply taking on a melodic lilt.

"I was thinking of Ho-oh," he said with a sigh. His former friend's name shattered the intimacy between the two — it was reminder that they were at war.

"What in particular?" she replied slowly.

"I can't help but think that I should've done more."

"You've done enou—"

"—No, you don't understand!" Lugia exclaimed. He shuddered as memories from centuries past rose to the surface. "I watched it happen! I was there as he started to change. He loved humans; he watched them grow with familial love and dedication — much like we watch Silver grow."

Lugia bowed his head and let out a sigh. "I let my friend slip from me, ignoring all the signs."

"If what happened was as you said, you would've only been delaying the inevitable," the Lady of the Sea replied. "You cannot control humanity no more than you can keep the sun rising and setting. But you know this already. There's something else that's bothering you. It's been troubling you for quite some time now."

"Since we began discussing the reasons all of this started, I couldn't bring myself to mention my part in his change during any of our previous meetings. I was…scared of shouldering the blame for all that's happened."

Lugia shuddered as he continued speaking. "What frightens me most is that if our roles had been reversed, would I be any different? Had I seen the world while he stayed in one area, would I have come to the same conclusions? I don't approve of his methods, but were his reasons purely without merit?" For a few moments, he and Ho-oh switched places — the Beast of the Sea, a cruel, misanthropic crusader seeking a pokémon utopia; the Sky Guardian, a just and noble leader seeking to stop the Guardian of the Sea's hateful crusade. He pushed the disturbing reversal out of his head.

Before Lugia's mate could reply, a presence suddenly entered the range of their psychic awareness. They imagined it wouldn't be long before Silver came to them, telling them of Groudon's newest modifications to the Tree of Beginning. Both of them had seen enough rock formations to last multiple lifetimes, but would humor him regardless. When he wasn't training to learn his father's signature move, he was apparently mapping out the entire tree.

The Regi trio and their master mainly stayed around Groudon, offering their advice for the newest additions to their home. Having heard of the success with Latias's mission in Alto Mare, Darkrai left to try his luck in Alamos. Lugia had sent his creations to the Orange Islands to do the same. Finally, Mesprit, Mew, Latias and Cresselia had each left on an undisclosed mission. When asked, they replied that they could not specify the details, but asked that they be trusted nonetheless. It was at that moment that the single presence was joined by another, and another. Then dozens and several hundred more after that.

Mesprit had told them of her brother's army of psychics and that with her brother's vast knowledge and experience it wouldn't be long before he found their base of operations. Lugia had simply hoped that their discovery would be months, not weeks later. The Beast of the Sea turned to his life-mate, steeling himself for his next command.

"Take our son and flee. I will hold them off." His eyes hardened as he prepared to make his last stand.

"I'm not leaving you again," she replied firmly, holding her place in the air before him.

"You're not leaving me. I'll hold them off for a bit while the two of you get some distance. We'll regroup at Shamouti Island."

"I don't have to read your mind to know that you're lying to me!" The Lady of the Sea was resolute.

"We don't have time for this!" Lugia growled, "I won't be alone. Groudon and the Regis still need to be warned! We may be able to eliminate them together, but the Tree is no longer safe. I can't afford to lose you or our son. Now go!"

"That won't be necessary," a voice from behind them announced.

* * *

><p><strong>Hoenn Region – Meteor Falls<strong>

Thousands of wings beat as they fought for supremacy over the storm of icy razors that assailed the mountainside. One particular Zubat nimbly dodged shard after shard of ice, making its way just out of the hailstorm's range. A torrent of flame quickly washed over it for its trouble, its blackened and burning body fluttering a few more feet before the flames took their toll and let gravity do the rest.

Entei scanned the skies for any other targets. Finding none, he waited patiently until Suicune's ice shower ended. Raikou emerged from the depths of the cave's maw, tendrils of lightning dancing off his body along the cave's stony walls. Suicune quickly joined them, motioning towards their next objective with wordless nods as his reply.

No longer were they tasked with razing cities or hunting down civilians. Instead they had been ordered to pick up where Gengiga had left off. They were methodical, efficient and utterly detached from their actions as they moved from one affected area to another. Even Entei, whose earlier mission was not too different from their current one, could express no joy in his work.

"What have you done with our master!?" he hazily recalled roaring to the sprite.

Uxie remained unfazed as he continued to explain Ho-oh's current situation. Master had been taken from them. Not by humans, but by an elder Legendary. Whether or not he had allied himself with Lugia and his human-loving heretics no longer mattered as Rayquaza had apparently killed him in his attempt to save their master. The world he was being kept in was separate from their own; the portal to back to them had closed before he could make it back to their dimension.

The All-Knowing held the key to bringing him back, but the sprite assured them that the process would take time. It was not the fear of their master dying that had affected them; death meant little to someone who would simply resurrect no matter how he was killed. What overtook their every thought was the separation from their benefactor.

Ho-oh had apparently left Uxie in charge of carrying out his crusade, meaning that in his absence, he had just as much authority to command them as long as the orders coincided with Ho-oh's plans. The sprite appeared to be a great supporter of their master's vision, having been allowed so much control of their operations.

To disobey Uxie was to deny the will of their master and thereby impede the speed at which he could be returned to them. Their only comfort was that their master was somehow still watching over them, proud of their actions and progress.

* * *

><p><strong>New Island<strong>

The sound of rising bubbles filled the otherwise yawning silence of the lightless hall. A path of light stretched across the floor to the sound of mechanical hissing at the end of the room. Uxie slowly entered the room, a series of lights lining the way before him winked on as he made his way down the hall.

Rows of tubes lined the walls of the room; each glass canister housed a different and failed experiment. Pale and disfigured bodies floated in the verdant serum, their clammy forms occasionally making dull thuds against the glass. Each tank seemed to house a different monstrosity, but the disturbing reality lay in the fact that each had all come from an original source: Lugia's brother.

Some had grown extra arms, while others had formed multiple eyes on various parts of their body. Several of them had formed redundant, exposed, or faulty organ systems that would spell a long and painful death should they ever leave the safe confines of their silicon womb.

"Specimen XD012 has grown a second circulatory system in its development," Uxie said as he examined the aforementioned specimen. They were just as much his trophies as they were his failures — physical reminders of his journeys into the frontiers of science. Like many of his setbacks they did little to deter him. In fact, they only spurred him to work harder.

As advanced as the cloning facility was, it had only been programmed to handle specimens with double helix structures. It didn't take long for the sprite to realize that he and the other Legendaries had been made with three or four helices in their own genetic code. In time Uxie would eventually reconfigure the system to accept and replicate the Legendary's distinct blueprint. But for the moment, that would simply have to wait.

Recent reports from his agents in the Hoenn region had piqued his interest, especially when he combined it with the knowledge he'd extracted from his first exchange with the diving Legendary's duplicate.

Another series of doors slid away to reveal the Legendary in question, suspended off the ground by several rings of Alakazam. His angered expression was frozen on his face, as were the emotions and thoughts that had accompanied them. As far as the double was concerned, seconds, not weeks, had passed since their initial meeting.

Uxie had initially considered placing Ho-oh in a similar stasis prison, but deemed the effort a waste of valuable resources. The amount of psychic power required to maintain them in such a state was incredible — even the most powerful of psychics could not maintain such a field indefinitely. As a result, several Alakazam and even some of the Metagross worked in shifts to maintain the stasis field.

The Beast of the Sea's copy, on the other hand, served several purposes.

Obtaining blood and tissue samples had been easier than if covert attempts had been employed. With a nearly imperceptible nod, the psychics teleported from the room, leaving sprite alone with his captive. What Uxie sought now required something that couldn't simply be unlocked through genetic modification, not for lack of trying. No, he would need to be coaxed into participating in his newest experiment.

"You're insane!" Lugia's brother hissed.

Suffice to say that explaining his newest project had not been met with the most positive of attitudes.

"Incorrect. All mental faculties are stable. Am simply expressing scientific interest," Uxie replied with the tone of a schoolteacher correcting a pupil.

"I don't care what you think you are! I'm not doing that ever again and I won't let you do that to anyone else!"

"Misunderstanding. Have no intention of resorting to methods utilized by your previous captors. Unnecessary stimulus. Unpredictable results due to variable differences in execution. Different specimens have different thresholds for physiological and psychological stress. Believe that this 'shadow state' as your captors called it, can be achieved through other means."

"What are you talking about?"

Uxie was silent for a moment, turning away from the silver sentinel's "sibling".

"Did not understand experiment," Uxie calmly muttered as less of a question and more of a statement.

"They never told me what they wanted! They never told me why they did it! What they did to me was...was…" He trailed off. There were no words in any language that could effectively describe the horrors he'd experienced.

"Process inefficient. However, product of experiment may still be of use."

"What do you mean, still of use?" the double snapped.

"Desired goal is the subtraction of original Lugia, correct?" The sprite's head tilted slightly to the side as he asked.

"…Correct…"

"Mental state acquired during experiment gives significant advantage against original. Attaining said form will allow for your victory."

"I don't need that form to defeat him!"

"Probability of your success is significantly lower than if form is utilized. Have crafted several scenarios using demonstrated abilities and hypothetical limits of both you and original. After several trials, having factored differences due to experience, original succeeded majority of trials. Rates are consistent with results given by Alakazam and Metagross groups that were presented with same information," Uxie continued.

Lugia opened his mouth to speak, but found little he could say in response to the overwhelming amount of information against him. To have the answers laid out for him, so plainly, so frigidly, was difficult to stomach. Lugia directed his gaze to the walls around them, contemplating his next move.

"Goal of experiment was to unlock state of mind most effective to battle. Can be unlocked again. Torture unnecessary. However, trauma associated with process has caused you to create series of mental barriers. Will need to work through them if you have any hope of defeating the original Lugia on your own."

Lugia's eyes fell to the floor. The idea of accepting help from someone to kill his brother was unheard of, something Uxie undoubtedly knew and was preying upon. He and he alone wanted that pleasure. And yet, there was a small part of him that didn't mind going along as long as it meant that he had his revenge.

Lugia lifted his gaze to stare at the sprite, waiting patiently for his reply. "Why haven't you done it already?"

"Will have to be specific."

"Why don't you just remove my mental barriers for me? Whatever ones I had sure as shit didn't stop you from digging through my mind before!" Lugia snarled, his blood beginning to boil at the memory.

"Conscious mental barriers different from unconscious. Forced removal can cause irreparable damage to psyche," Uxie answered back calmly. Of course, he left out just _how_ he obtained said knowledge. Suffice to say, it involved live subjects, a gross disregard for their health as well as a complete and total flouting of every code of scientific ethics.

"Finding other test subjects to perform experiment presents difficulties. You are only known recorded subject to have entered this state. Reentry into this form will be easiest with a subject that has already entered it. Our goals coincide. Am willing to redistribute resources to allow you achievement of this goal."

The Guardian of the Sea's double struggled to drink in the information the Architect of Knowledge had unveiled. His head spun under the deluge of knowledge. "I…I need to be alone," he replied.

"As you wish," Uxie replied, floating away to attend to another task.

* * *

><p><strong>Kanto Region - Tree of Beginning<strong>

The corners of Mesprit's lips quivered slightly as she fought to maintain her smile. Every second was a newfound challenge, every subtle golden shimmer of her eyes threatened to herald an onset of tears and wails. Hiding her true feelings from so many Gardevoir and Gallade was no small feat, especially when hundreds of crimson stares bored through her carefully forged mental bastion. Their eyes held a frightening amount of eagerness and an equally disturbing degree of loyalty.

To be their goddess was to be an entity for their worship. To be revered as the Avatar of Emotion meant that sacrifice after sacrifice would be laid on altars in her name. Despite the centuries she had spent roaming the earth, she found herself ill-prepared to handle the effects that came with such a title.

Her followers were swift, smart and strong. But many went beyond that — they were willing to fight and die in her name.

And that was the problem.

Mesprit was not like her brother. She could not gaze upon the pokémon before her and see only numbers, resources and acceptable losses. Many of those in her midst were parents, siblings and friends. Even those that had lived more solitary lifestyles still had the hope of a happy future and the very thought of sending them off to fight and die for her was almost too much to bear. And yet, her resolve remained strong; her face still masked in faux contentment at their arrival and devotion.

They could not afford to be picky about allies, not when they had so few of them. She was not at liberty to turn away such eager fighters for their cause. Humanity would need them. But despite the justifications she gave herself; no matter how logical and reasonable they rang in her ears, the choice to use them gave her no comfort.

Other more familiar presences became known to her as they drew close; no doubt Latias had informed the others of their arrival. The Lady of the Sea, Lugia and Silver landed beside her as the remaining Legendaries drew close, but not too close for Groudon's suffocating presence would have had an adverse effect on their newest allies.

"How?" Lugia simply stared at the throng of pokémon.

Mesprit was silent for a moment, her eyes hovering over the field of psychics, hoping someone would spare her the trouble of explaining it to him. When no one else came forth, Mesprit sighed and turned to face their elected leader."Latias came to me some time ago with a vision from a Xatu in Alto Mare. She told me that the Gallade and Gardevoir would come to our aid if I went to them and explained the situation. Mew, Latias, Cresselia and I went throughout the regions and gathered as many as were willing to come."

"Where are the others now?" Silver's mother inquired.

Mesprit slowly turned towards her and gave her an extended and loaded stare."They're…away."

Lugia's life-mate understood and held her questions for another time, a thought which had apparently not occurred to her son.

"Why Gardevoir and Gallade specifically?" Silver chimed in, being one of the rare individuals spared from Mesprit's glare.

"Kadabra and Alakazam worship my brother for bestowing all sentient life with intelligence — the thing they value most. As you might remember, Azelf gifted everyone with free will.

"I am the Architect of Emotion, without me, no one could feel. Several psychics, like the Psi line and Metagross who have joined my brother, require focus and concentration to utilize their powers effectively. Gallade and Gardevoir, however, are empaths and become stronger based on their emotions like those each of us here," Mesprit replied.

One of the Gallade made his way to the front of the group with a teal colored Gardevoir in tow. Once close enough, he bowed. The embrace pokémon shadowing him eventually followed suit, noticeably unsure as to what she was bowing for.

"Bred in captivity," Mesprit mused. She flinched and averted her gaze when she noticed that the shiny Gardevoir's left arm was missing from the shoulder down. It was another reminder of what they had gone through in the last few weeks. Another reminder of what they'd overcome to be here before her today.

"I am called Etienne, and this is my…companion." The Gallade paused, looking at the Gardevoir for a sign of approval. She gave him a gentle nod and smiled, letting him continue. "I speak on behalf of the Gallade of Sinnoh. We are your sword." Etienne bowed deeper as he spoke.

"And the Gardevoir's representative?" Lugia asked, earning a sour look from blade pokémon.

"She will be teleporting here shortly with the remaining members of her group," Etienne replied, clearly annoyed at having to speak to anyone but his apparent goddess. "In the meantime, most of my brothers are here and we await your orders."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Etienne, but I would like to wait until all are present before we begin assigning missions," Mesprit calmly replied.

"If that is your wish," the Gallade's leader said as he stood up and began turning away.

"If you don't mind me asking, how many are in your group?" the diving Legendary called out.

The swordsmaster paused and let out an exasperated sigh. "If you must know, there are forty seven of us. There may have been more, but there are a few of us who view injustice differently. The numbers that did not come were small and we did not feel the need to coerce them to the point of battle. As for the Gardevoir, I cannot speak for their numbers but their leaders will give you a more accurate number."

Without another word, Etienne strode away, his companion tailing him back into the crowd.

"Did I say something to offend him?" Lugia asked across a private mental link.

"No. What you must understand is that they are fighting on my behalf — and my behalf alone. Gallade are chivalrous creatures who seek to bring justice where there is none. pokémon who had nothing to do with this are suffering for the decisions made by Legendaries like us. In their eyes, humans are often wicked enough that they have brought this disaster upon themselves. The only reason they are even considering helping humans is because I've asked them."

Lugia nodded. His face remained neutral but there was a clear undertone of discontent underneath that calm façade. The knowledge that the Gallade in front of him were mujahideen fighting in the name of Mesprit did not sit well with him. He surveyed the field of shifting green and white and crimson spots.

"I don't mean to darken this hour, but as grateful as I am for their support, in terms of numbers they will not be enough." Lugia mentally sighed.

Mesprit threw him a vicious glare before floating away into the tree. Her sudden absence was not lost on her followers as the green sea of empaths ceased all movement to track her sudden departure. Hundreds of scrutinizing crimson stares locked onto him, thirsty for answers.

"Keep them busy while I bring her back," Lugia whispered to his lifemate before diving after the architect of emotion.

"I'll do what I can," the Lady of the Sea replied. "Assuming they'll even pay me any heed," she muttered as she now became the new focus of Mesprit's legion of followers.

* * *

><p>"Mesprit!" Lugia cried, as he wound his way through the Tree of Beginning's cavernous twists and turns. He didn't have to travel far to find the sprite floating down the stony tunnel with all the vigor of a dead leaf in a stream. "Mesprit, you need to come back!"<p>

The Avatar of Emotion said naught but one word. "No."

"Why not?"

"I…I can't…I…I can't keep this up. It's too much!" she replied, her voice shuddering and cracking like glass under a hammer.

"Mesprit…" Lugia trailed off, not sure what to say to the sprite. He took a deep breath. "I…I understand this is diffic—"

"No." Her back was still turned to the Beast of the Sea. A sound, halfway between a sob and a broken laugh escaped her. "No, you don't understand."

"Mes—"

"No, you don't!" Mesprit suddenly exploded as she turned to Lugia. "You can't possibly imagine how hard this is for me!" Her soft melodic voice had become hard and razor-edged with venom dripping from every word.

Tears ran down Mesprit's face as her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. Surrounding her was a pink aura that blazed in the cool tunnel. By now, she was trembling with pent-up rage. Pink darkened into purple and then darker still until it the aura became a black so dark that it was akin to staring into the gaping abyss of a black hole.

Lugia carefully backed away, unsure of what to do before the Avatar of Emotion.

The sprite's eyes had narrowed into thin slits, the soft amber color of her irises now blazed gold. It was nothing like Mew's earlier outburst; this was not the anger of a child who had just learned of displeasing news. This was the wrath of a cosmic being — a being as old as time and space itself.

Watching her outburst was akin to staring at a dying supergiant star as it tore itself asunder in a supernova. In front of the Guardian of the Sea was the collective anger of all existence, condensed and focused into the small sprite that hovered before him.

The Avatar of Emotion stood on the precipice of true rage — feral chaos without reason or thought. Whatever relations she'd built with him in their time together now held kept her from leaping from the precipice and into the realm of wrathful and wild abandon.

Her pleasant demeanor belied the fact that Mesprit was a being nearly as old as the cosmos itself. She had borne witness to creation and laid the foundation of everything that came after it.

In that moment, floating before her, Lugia began to truly understand how helpless he was against her. The emotions of all existence were her hostage. Any move against her was a move against emotion itself.

"The humans of Shamouti Island worship you like a god," she whispered. Despite the low, icy tone she took, the air and Lugia's mind reverberated in tandem as the Beast of the Sea listened to a voice that had come from beyond time and space. "Would they rally to your call? Come to your aid in battle?"

Lugia scrambled wildly in his mind to find something to say, futilely hoping anything he said would placate her.

"Answer me!" Mesprit demanded, causing the walls and possibly even the entire tree to shake.

"Yes." The diving Legendary averted his gaze from the enraged sprite.

"So if there weren't enough people on your island, would you scour the other settlements in the Orange Islands for more fighters? Could you knowingly send them to fight and die for you!?"

Sand and stone rained from the ceiling and the Beast of the Sea's body discovered paler shades of white.

"It hasn't gotten that bad for you to make that decision, has it?" Mesprit said in an icy whisper. "How long will it be before you, Darkrai and Latias need to resort to your own lands for sacrificial pawns!?"

Beads of sweat rolled down Lugia's neck as heat radiated off of Mesprit.

"I pray it never comes to that. I pray you never have to see what I've seen and feel what I have felt." Her voice had taken on an eerie timbre, one of two voices speaking near simultaneously.

Lugia opened his mouth. "I—"

"Do not pretend to understand what I feel!" she screamed. The world seemed to shimmer and pulse as if her shout had distorted the very fabric of reality.

Lugia's breathing and heartbeat had suddenly become uncomfortably loud once silence saw it fit to intervene. Mesprit was wheezing now, her aura had brightened back to its rosy color before dissipating from view. It took every ounce of control she had left to stay afloat. She knew well enough she would devolve into a quivering mess should she let herself fall and touch the ground.

She let loose a wet and trembling wail, wrapping her arms around herself as if to hold herself in place. The sound of it struck a chord in the ocean guardian's heart; the cry that rang in his ears came from deepest parts of her soul. Sadness settled in his core like a lump of coal, icy tendrils slithered through his veins. He wanted to hold her, cradle and comfort her. But alas, he knew full well the consequences of contact. The surge of emotions she would gain from such contact would have dire consequences for her psyche, even more so in her currently fragile state. To say nothing of the least that the merest touch from her could strip all emotion from a living being.

So he waited, waited until her tears had been spent and her cries had softened. She lifted her shimmering gaze up to him, surprised to find that at some point during her outburst he had pressed himself against the wall as if trying to sink into it.

"I'm sorry," she said between tearful sniffles, instantly mortified at the sound of her own voice. He smiled as she desperately tried to compose herself for him, waiting patiently until she was sure she could talk normally. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I guess I was just…venting."

"Venting…" Lugia trailed off. He shuddered as he recalled the primordial wrath that Mesprit had just exhibited. "Venting" was a gross understatement.

"Yes…"

"…You were right though."

Mesprit gave the Beast of the Sea a quizzical look. "Hmm?"

"About everything. I can't fathom the pain you must be going through. The pain you've gone through and may yet still have to endure. I've been insensitive to your feelings, and for that I'm sorry," Lugia said.

"I shouldn't have said those things about your people."

Lugia shook his head. "No. It's better that you did. You have a point. If things get worse, Latias, Darkrai, and I will have to consider what I—we need to do when that time comes."

There was a companionable silence between them, offset slightly with Mesprit's occasional sniffles.

"How do you do it?" she asked with a weary sigh.

"Do what?" Lugia replied.

"The people of Shamouti Island. How were you able to keep being their god for so long?"

A low rumble built up through Lugia's throat before coming out as a soft chuckle.

"What? What's so funny!?" Mesprit demanded, a rosy hue now atop her puffed cheeks.

Lugia stopped his laughter cold. "Sorry, sorry. It's been a while since they viewed me as a god. Time and knowledge have stripped that title from me. Now, I'm just a pokémon. Although it might be harder to capture me than others, I'm still considered attainable. But I'm avoiding your question now, aren't I?"

Mesprit smiled and silently nodded.

Lugia let loose a sigh, his body relaxed against the stone once more as he thought about his next words. "Honestly, I don't think I ever tried to be one. I didn't want to be something that I wasn't. I've never personally thought of myself as a god. I doubt Groudon has either, even though he played a large part in the formation of this planet."

The Architect of Emotion visibly deflated as Lugia spoke, whatever unspoken hope she'd gather was now fleeing from her.

"But that's not what you want to hear, is it?" Lugia asked. "You want me to tell you how to handle your new followers?"

Mesprit blushed and nodded as she fiddled with one of her tails, nervously wringing it between her fingers.

"First let me tell you this: I don't have a straight answer. However, in my experience with pokémon and humans there will be those that will continue to view us as a higher power — regardless of how we view ourselves.

"They look to us for answers. Yet you and I both know that there are times when we know just as much — or as little, as it may be — as they do. Yes, our longevity may have given us experience, but time does not grant wisdom. Especially when most of us spend our solitude in slumber," Lugia said.

Mesprit's head lifted, as she let go of one of her tails, leaving it to float behind her. "We were given tasks and we did them. We were told what do with our wishes and then what to do afterwards," she muttered. "Some gods, huh?"

"More like children left to their own devices once their chores are done," the diving Legendary replied.

Mesprit smiled; the expression lasted mere seconds before it melted away as she gazed down the passage back to the tree's exterior. "I don't know if I can go back out there."

"Why?"

"The Gallade and Gardevoir…If they see me crack…if they see me sad…they'll lose faith in me, in what we're doing. They'll leave and…and then we'll be back where we started. Why would they follow a crying deity? What good to us is such a fragile goddess?"

"I don't see a frail goddess."

Mesprit turned and stared deep into his eyes. Gold met deep blue as she awaited an answer.

"I see someone who cares so much about others that it wounds her to see the sight of others suffering if she can keep it from happening. I see someone whose love is stronger than all the fear or hate or greed this world has seen.

"I see someone who has seen the best and worst that her gift has created. Yet, she has chosen to see the good it can do. You're stronger than you know, Mesprit. Stronger than many of us here. I can't tell you what to do; I can only trust that you'll do what needs to be done," Lugia replied.

Mesprit dipped her head; her eyes closed as she drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

"There are others." She released her breath with a sigh, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Say again?" Lugia asked.

"You said that there weren't enough Gardevoir and Gallade. I'm telling you that I know where we can find more."

"Etienne said he had gathered as many as he—"

"In that region, yes. There's only so many we can expect to come from these nearby regions but that's not where they're originally from. A few of them migrated here ages ago," Mesprit replied.

"Where is this land?" Lugia asked. Despite trying to keep his voice neutral and flat, excitement and surprise was clearly audible.

"It's far from here. It would take me some time to find it again and I haven't been there since they migrated."

"But you could convince them to join us as well?"

Mesprit gave a noncommittal nod of her head. "Things could be different now. The Gallade or Gardevoir may no longer reside in that region anymore. They might have all migrated away. We might come back empty-handed."

Lugia was silent for a moment, studying the walls as if he could see through them and find the answer he was looking for. "We've always needed allies, Mesprit. And right now, we need them more than ever before. This is a risk that you—we have to take. "

Mesprit pondered the Guardian of the Sea's words. She nodded as she finished thinking. "Yeah. You're right. Okay. All right, I'll head out first thing tomorrow, but…"

"Yes?"

"I'd like some…company," Mesprit sheepishly added.

Lugia nodded as a small smile split his face. "I wouldn't dream of sending you out alone and unguarded. Take your pick. I'll lead the Gardevoir in your absence. We'll begin retaking Kanto while you gather more reinforcements in..." He trailed off, unsure as to the region's name.

"Kalos," Mesprit helpfully provided. "The region's name is Kalos."

* * *

><p><strong>Next, Epilogue: Meet With The Maker<strong>


	11. Meet With The Maker

**Let's start this off with a great many thanks to Zarrelion for his help on this chapter. **

**Also, the third chapter for Jantanner's Amidst Chaos has come out, so please give it a look and leave your thoughts and feelings.**

**As for this chapter, it's something that quite a few of you have asked about frequently in the past and its also a small shoutout to Janus366 and his arc. Also, in a way, you see some of my views on the grander scheme of things.**

**One last thing. You may notice the date that this chapter takes place on, and it may seem odd to you. You may be asking yourself "Why October 10?" or "Who Cares Cornova, you just threw this date out for some reason."**

** The answer is no. The undampening took place after episode 553, just a bit before the Giratina movie. Meaning, that anything that happened after that episode, including the movies that happened, would be completely different because of the undampening. Certain people never meet, several problems are never resolved. The 12th pokemon movie would be one such example. As such, I didn't want to just throw in a random date when this chapter would happen, I wanted to calculate when exactly it would occur regardless of what was going on with the universe. The 12th movie takes place after episode 603. So, how much time would have passed between the undampening and this? I took the liberty of going through all 50 episodes, noting any time they mentioned or ate a particular meal. Anytime they spoke about a certain amount of time passing and if there was ever a shadow being cast from a tree or person to calculate what time of day it was.. The time of day of the episode began and ended, as well as calculating how long it would take them to reach a particular destination (there was a lot of backtracking to Hearthome) were also considered. All of these things I looked for and notated to calculate at least a minimum of 54 days having passed between those 50 episodes. Which is why this would place us at October 10th. **

**At this point you're all probably thinking, "Cornova, you have no life, you are such a loser" or "Why did you waste all that time doing that and not working on a chapter!?"**

** While those things may be partially true, I think it's the little details that matter and I just felt that you guys should know some of the extra lengths I take to make this story decent. **

**Anywho, with that out of the way, let us begin with the end.**

* * *

><p><strong>October 10th<strong>

**Sinnoh Region - Michina Town **

Azelf watched as the maw of a purple portal yawned open over a calm lake. The lake shivered and formed into an aqueous tentacle that was quickly sucked into the abyss. The eldritch heartbeat of the portal rattled the landscape for miles around. The tremors would've made the local pokémon flee for safer lands.

If there were any local pokémon left. One group stayed — and drove out or killed all the others.

Massive golden cubes rose into the sky, scouting the area for the source of the seismic disturbance. One in particular began to head towards Azelf and the portal that decided to disappear behind him.

Hundreds of tiny membranous wings fluttered at the cube's sides, an interlocking lattice of Combee grew more and more defined as it drew closer. Glowing scarlet pinpricks dotted every golden face, each twinkle denoting a pair of angry eyes.

Their new directive was simple: seek, surround and utterly obliterate. Friend or foe, the Combee carried out their orders with extreme prejudice. There was no hesitation in their actions, no questioning their orders and no remorse in the aftermath. They lived and died for their queen, for they were, in essence, extensions of her. Each acted as an eye or arm for her, supplying their queen with their perspectives of the terrain while also attacking by proxy.

Azelf sighed as he watched the Combee cube close the distance between them.

They weren't always so territorial; the undampening had forced them to be ruthless and untrusting in all their actions towards outsiders.

With the sudden lack of poison-types in the region, a power vacuum had been created. One that many attempted to fill. Predators were the first, fighting other contenders until one group among them reigned supreme.

Once established, the hunts began.

For a while the hunters had their fill and were sated but as the days dragged on, those that had been preyed upon migrated, hid or died off leaving no offspring or trace. The hunters quickly grew restless, frantically looking for a new solution to their overhunting. One such alternative came through the Combee — docile, plentiful and filling. If one could stomach a bug-type.

For those that rejected bug-types, another option lay in what the Combee made. Combee carried the components of their flower hunts to their hive where it could be processed into food for their young. The actual processing was done by Vespiquen in the deepest and innermost core of the hive. Pokémon desperate for food forced their way inside, battling the swarm as they attempted to stop the interlopers from devouring their hard-earned honey.

The infiltration of their home, consumption of their food and deaths of her children was met with a swift, effective, and brutal response. Over the course of several weeks, her death squads had systematically slaughtered the pokémon that once roamed the area.

Shade from the Combee cube cast over Azelf before it dissolved into a hundred smaller shadows. Azelf looked around lazily, finding that each Combee's baleful gaze was now locked onto him from every angle.

"You all have free will; you just don't use it," Azelf muttered bitterly, letting his gaze drag back down to the ground.

He then turned to the biggest mass of Combee. "I know you can hear me, Vespiquen. I know you're linked to your hive. It works both ways though. If I can control them, then through them, I can control you," Azelf said, wondering why he was even bothering to explain anything when they were already under his control. He wondered if it was to create a simulacrum of conversation. Or was it to hear and not forget the sound of his own voice? Interacting with others was hard when your very presence robbed them of their free will and made them your puppets.

It was then that the air seemed to grow thicker and his voice suddenly reverberated with cosmic energies. "Have your swarms return. There is nothing wrong now and there will be nothing wrong for the rest of the day. Go to sleep and awake tomorrow. You can continue to act as you see fit," the Avatar of Will boomed. He watched the combee flow back to their hive. "I hate when I have to do that," he grumbled, wondering if it was healthy for him to talk to himself so much.

The constant drone that once pervaded the air had disappeared only to be replaced by the sound of sloshing water. Gales of wind ripped his focus from him, dragging his body across the field and towards the lake. The portal was bigger now; cyclonic waterspouts rose in greater numbers from the lake and into the gateway of another dimension.

Gradually, the force behind the suction weakened and the water and wind eventually went still. A sea of clouds silently crossed the sky at an alarming speed; not dark enough to herald the coming of rain, but thick enough to hide the sun from the world and cast everything in shadow.

Light shone down from the portal as prismatic ribbons of mysterious energies spilled from around the sides. A single figure descended from the brilliance, bathed in blinding light that dimmed as he drew closer to the earth.

"The time has come! And you shall be judged!" Arceus roared. The golden wheel around his abdomen began to glow an incandescent white as a sphere of energy manifested around his face.

"Father!" Azelf yelled, flying through the air and hoping the Alpha Pokémon had heard him before he pronounced his sentence. Crimson eyes locked onto him, the sphere of destruction shrunk and blipped out of existence.

"Azelf?" the Legendary spoke, the fury draining from his voice.

The Sprite of Will smiled and nodded, "It's been a while, Father. I'll admit I didn't recognize this form of yours for a moment."

Arceus was silent, surveying the lands around him for something before turning back to face him. "Azelf, do not misunderstand, it is not that I do not wish to see you. But there are things that must be dealt with before we may continue to talk."

"Things like the Jewel of Life?" Azelf asked, bringing the emerald sphere out from behind him and handing it to his creator.

"How did you…where is Damos?"

"You've been asleep for quite a while, Father. Damos is dead and has been for some time now. His lineage guarded what they believed to be your fragments and awaited the day that you would return for it once more. For generations, the jewel they'd been guarding was a fake," Azelf replied. "The real jewel was stolen by a man who was controlling Damos with a psychic pokémon when last you saw him and ordered the attack on you."

"Pokémon?"

"Ah, yes. In Damos's time, we were known as 'magical creatures'. Now we are known as pokémon."

Arceus nodded as he eyed his creation for a moment, "If the jewel was lost for so long, how did you find it again?"

"I didn't. Celebi did. She gave it to me a few months ago and told me where to be when you would return. She followed the one who took it through time and snatched it from him when its absence would have the least amount of impact on the timestream." Azelf beamed with pride.

"I did not think giving me this news would merit such happiness," Arceus replied as the Jewel of Life separated and became the five plates of his essence.

"You'll have to forgive me, Father. It has been some time since I've had the pleasure of good company and conversation," Azelf replied.

"The dampeners, they have been removed then? I could feel your ability attempt to overtake my will. The universe feels different. Raw and wild. This fragment of my whole is weak; it does not know the comings and goings of the universe as they happen. You will have to explain."

"It is as you said, Father. The dampeners have been removed from all pokémon and humans by Ho-oh." Arceus looked off into the sky as if gazing upon a distant and unseen galaxy.

"The Sky Guardian?" the Alpha and the Omega eventually responded, his focus still seemingly fixed on the cosmos.

"Yes."

"…Why?"

"I could tell you, but it might be easier for me to show you," the Avatar of Will suggested. Arceus nodded, the golden highlights of his body shifting into a deep purple. There was silence between them as several centuries worth of experiences and knowledge was transferred over.

After a few heartbeats Arceus opened his eyes, the rest of his body returning back into its natural color. "They have come a long way."

"That's it? That's all you can say?" There was no anger in Azelf's tone, only surprise.

"Was there something you expected me to say to all of this?"

"I don't know. I…I figured you would've been angrier that the dampeners had been removed. You made them for a reason, right?"

Arceus shook his head. "Angry? No. Disappointed and saddened that it has come to this point. Yes."

"Why did you make us with the dampeners then?"

"I think the effects of their removal should be self-explanatory." Arceus motioned with his neck to the area around them. From a simple glance, the setting was pristine and tranquil but that was not what Arceus had referred to.

"No, not that. Why didn't you make us dampened in the first place?' Azelf asked.

"Mew and I believed that as powerful as all of you were, you would all still be able to live in harmony. Your true powers may have appeared to be too much but at the time it had created very little disturbances. We didn't encounter any difficulties until humanity was created."

"Giratina's war," Azelf solemnly stated, knowing there was nothing else that needed to be said on the subject.

Arceus closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes. It was then that both Mew and I realized our error. For all my power, this form is still flesh and blood. I can grow weary; I can become angry. I can misjudge and make mistakes. This fragment is immune to many types, but it is not immune to error."

"What will you do now?"

"I shall return to my dimension, of course," Arceus calmly replied, to which Azelf's stare hardened at the response.

"You will do nothing?" the Willpower Pokémon fought to keep his voice level and non-confrontational.

"It is not my place to interfere with this universe's troubles."

"But you made this world!" Azelf shouted. The Alpha and Omega's blasé statement had struck a nerve.

Arceus shot a steel-cold glare at the Architect of Will. "No, I did not. You all did. Each of you played a part. I made you and the others, which you now call Legendaries. Together you created this universe. And it shall be all of you who handle its issues.

"Note that in all the wars that humanity has waged against itself, I have never stepped in. No matter how high the cost was or would be; I did not intervene. I told you how to make this universe. If it is destroyed because of your squabbles, then you all must have cared more about that than living in this world." Arceus turned away from the sprite, a blinding white portal opening up before him.

Azelf trembled in place, his eyes downcast while his arms hung rigidly at his sides with clenched fists. "Why did you make us?" he whispered, anger and venom dripping from every word.

Arceus's back was to the sprite as he inched his way back to his dimension.

"Why did you bother to make us if you care nothing about us!?" Azelf screamed

The Alpha Pokémon halted before the gateway to his world, slowly bowing his head and closing his eyes with a sigh. He away backed from the portal, letting it shrink until it winked out of reality.

"I do care. You, of all my creations, should know that I care, for all of you," Arceus spoke softly, keeping his back to the Sprite of Will.

Azelf could hear the pangs of sadness and pain in his tone; the words he spoke were not simply there to placate him, but almost as if Arceus had said them to convince himself.

"I care for all of you so much that it hurts. The ability to make your own decisions — even ones that hurt others and rob them of their right — is as precious to me as it is to you. If I wanted no wars; if I wanted no one to ever be hurt, then I wouldn't have created you, Azelf."

The confession visibly struck a chord in the sprite's core, his amber colored eyes now shimmering.

"I know you Azelf." Arceus's voice took a more paternal tone. "Do not blame yourself for this war or any war they've had in the past. What you gave them was a gift; never forget that. How they use that gift is not tied to you. We must live with the fact that our contributions to this existence can be used for the wrong reasons. But we must also remember that it has also made amazing things."

The weight on the Willmaker's mind had lifted slightly; not enough to remove his guilt, but enough to stop the descending spiral his emotions often brought him to.

"As to why I made all of you…the reason may disappoint those who spent centuries attempting to find and understand why they are here." Arceus let out a sigh.

"What is it?" Azelf asked, caring not of the eagerness that showed in his voice.

"Imagine you have come into being, and there is nothing else but you. To be trapped within your own mind and see nothing else, because nothing else exists. To hear nothing, not even your own voice, because sound has not been created. How would you feel? With only the void as your company? One would feel—"

"—Lonely…" Azelf interjected suddenly, the words slipping from his lips like the hushed breeze of some long-forgotten winter.

"Yes, Azelf. I was lonely. It was an all-consuming agony. So much so that I fought with all my being to change it. I tried to make others like myself, but failed. When I tried to make lesser beings they died when they could not survive in the void like I could. So I made a dimension where fragments of me could survive, and then they in turn made the dimension which would eventually be what you see now."

"Your other forms." Azelf nodded, not so much asking a question as he was acknowledging the fact that other variants of his maker existed.

"Yes, this is but a piece of the greater whole. It is infinitesimally weaker and susceptible to being overcome by emotions and the elements."

"Your other fragments. Will they do the same as you?"

"I cannot speak for them, but I know they will not interfere in this matter. But what of you Azelf, what will you do?" Arceus asked.

The Architect of Will floated silently, his face thoughtful for a moment before he responded. "Can…can I come with you, to your world?"

Despite lacking lips, it was as if the Alpha and the Omega's passive smile curled back into a solemn frown. His eyes spoke more than any words he could've said. Arceus dipped his head slightly and closed his eyes. "I would take you with me Azelf…"

"But you can't," the sprite dejectedly finished.

"My realm is cut off from this universe and is unlike Giratina's. As long as you and your siblings remain in this realm, everyone in it will continue to receive the gifts you gave them. I won't stop you from coming with me, but you need to know the consequences of that action."

Azelf would've offered to leave his body while his spirit joined Arceus in his world but he knew the risks of that action were too great. There was no real place to house his body while his spirit was away.

"I'm sorry Azelf, I'm sorry…" Another white portal opened up for what would be the final time.

"Will I at least see you again?" Azelf asked as he struggled to remain calm.

Arceus faced the sprite now, backing into the portal as he spoke. "As much as I would like to promise you that I would, I cannot."

"I…I understand."

"Take care Azelf. There will come a day when you find someone that you can talk to. Of that much I am certain."

And then, there was a flash of the most brilliant white light. And like that flash of light, Azelf's façade vaporized and the sound of anguished cries filled the peaceful valley.

* * *

><p><strong>End of the second legendary arc.<strong>

**Next legendary arc, the 3rd and final one. Poke Wars: The Obedience. **

**I'll be finishing up the Sinnoh arc soon and once that's done. **

**I'll be going back. **

**Yes, it's been a long time, but I think it's time I come back to the character you all seem to love watching go through all these struggles. **

**You all know who I mean.**

**I'm going back  
><strong>

**To Kanto**


End file.
